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AUTOBIOGRAPHY 



OF 



ELDER SAMUEL ROGERS. 



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EDITED BY HIS SON, 



ELDER JOHN I. ROGERS. 



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CINCINNATI: %f 
STANDARD PUBLISHING COMPANY, 180 ELM STREET. 

1880. 



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WASHI KOTOW I 



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Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by 

John I. Rogers, 
in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



Stereotyped by 
Campbell <t Company, 
Cincinnati. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Brethren of superior wisdom, and on whose judgment 
I rely, having urged me to give the world the benefit of 
my father's autobiography, I have endeavored to answer 
their wishes, though in an imperfect manner; and in the 
form of this unpretending volume to give mankind a 
part of the experiences of one whose toils and travels 
in the cause of his Master began almost with the begin- 
ning of the present century, and have continued well- 
nigh to the present day. Abundant material has been 
at hand, in the form of letters, and articles from our 
periodicals, to make a volume twice as large as this; 
but we have chosen to give his own account of his 
work, and as nearly as possible in his own language, 
leaving men to form their own judgment concerning his 
eventful life. TV r e regret that the plan of this volume 
has made it necessary to cut off so many chapters and 
parts of chapters of his autobiography, which might 
have been interesting and profitable to the reader. 
Doubtless there will be found many errors in the book, 
but we think they are not of a nature to impair its use- 
fulness. As it is, we commit it to the world, praying 
that it may be as good seed sown in good ground, bring- 
ing fruit abundantly to the praise of God. 

iii. 



iv Introduction. 

The concluding years of my beloved father were his 
happiest. Being quite deaf, and almost blind, he gave 
himself to meditations upon things divine. His hope 
grew brighter every day. He conversed as one whose 
home is beyond the clouds. He dwelt by faith in 
regions so sublime, that he was enabled to see all things, 
even the darkest clouds, from the heaven-side. When 
anyone inquired of him if he were not lonesome, being 
in his room so much alone, he answered promptly, "No, 
for God is always with me." He retained his mind and 
memory in full vigor to the last moment of life. When 
informed that he had but a few moments to live, he was 
exceeding joyful ; and turning his almost sightless eyes 
upwards, he said, " Is it possible that the old pilgrim is 
so near his journey's end? O, to think that in a few 
minutes I shall meet my Father, who has led me all the 
journey through ; and Jesus, my blessed Saviour ; and 
that I shall so soon be with the soldiers of the cross 
who have gone before ; and then to meet your mother, 
and your little children [addressing me] — this is joy too 
great to express ! " — and closing his own eyes, he slept 
the blessed sleep. May such an end be mine, and yours, 
dear reader, is my prayer. 

John I. Rogers. 

Cincinnati, August 12, 1880. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. PAGE 

Birth in Virginia.— Emigration to Kentucky.— Settlement near Danville in the 
year 1793.— Removal to Clark county.— Manners and customs of those times. 1 

CHAPTER II. 

His father makes a prospecting tour westward.— Passes O'Post, now Vincennes. 

— Crosses the Mississippi at Paincourt, now St. Louis.— Purchases land on 
the Missouri, twenty miles above St. Louis.— Removes with his family to his 
new home, in 1801.— He is pleased with his new home.— Fertile lands.— Wild 
game and fruits.— The first water-mill.— Night overtakes him in the forest. 

— He is pursued by wolves.— Makes a narrow escape. — Fishing and swim- 
ming his delight. .......... 7 

CHAPTER III. 
The cession of the territory to the United States in 1803.— Lewis and Clark.— 
They winter in the vicinity.— Emigration is stimulated.— The dawn of civil- 
ization.— The first preachers.— His father sells out and returns to Kentucky. 

— He settles Bourbon, now Nicholas county.— Marriage.— A grateful trib- 
ute to his wife and mother-in-law.— Conversion under the preaching of Stone 
and Dooley. . . . ... . . . . .13 

CHAPTER IV. 

Declaration of war.- He enlists under Metcalf.— St. Mary's.— Fort Defiance.— 
Meigs. — Dudley's defeat. — Sickness. — Left to die in a blockhouse. — His 
friends save him.— His arrival at home.— Recruiting service.— End of the 
war.— Demoralization.— Fortunate appearing of Reuben Dooley. — Revival 
at Old Concord.— Habits of the young converts.— All pray.— Most of them 
exhort. — Views in regard to conversion, and the call to the ministry.— 
Strange notions concerning Providence. . . . . . .17 

CHAPTER V. 
Trial by the Shakers.— Preaching in Lewis county.— Disgraceful scene. -His 
opinion of those who misbehave on occasions of baptism. — A tour. — The 
preacher and the horse cared for.— The King's Bounty, a cut nine-pence.— 
The wife's parting words. — At Falmouth. — Shaking hands. — In Preble 
county, Ohio.— The Dooleys and others.— Meeting in the woods.— Scores of 
mourners.— Mourners' benches abolished. . . . . . .25 

CHAPTER VI. 

Going to William M. Irvin's. — Misdirection. — A strange Providence.— Robert 
Long.— Development of God's purpose.— A great meeting in the woods.— He 
sees the hand of God, and determines to remove with his family. . . 3J 

V. 



vi Contents. 

CHAPTER VII. PAGE 

Removes to Clinton county, Ohio.— Birth of John I. Rogers, in 1819.— Organiza- 
tion of the congregation now called Antioch.— His ordination.— Sister Wor- 
ley assists.— Return home.— Forty persons immersed at the first meeting.— 
The Macedonian cry.— Night baptisms.— Harvey's dream.— His conversion. 

— Mrs. Hodson's dream and baptism. . . . . . . .36 

CHAPTER VIII. 
Building a house of worship. — He names it Antioch. — A few do the work.— 
Grateful tribute to the people, and especially to his wife. . . . .43 

CHAPTER IX. 

Call from Missouri.— He and James Hughes start together.— They camp out.— 
Cook their own meals on the way.— How they made a fire.— He goes alone to 
Howard county.— Wild beasts. — Glorious sunrising. — A burning prairie.— 
Awful reflections.— The contrast. — Finds Thomas McBride, who was over- 
come with good news.— Return.— Stays all night with a colored man.— Was 
happv. — After severe trials and dangers arrives at home in safety, having 
been three months out. ......... 46 

CHAPTER X. 

Wentworth Roberts baptized for remission, in the year 1821.— Stone on baptism 
for remission.— David Jamison baptized for remission.— George Shideler a 
like convert.— Dr. B. F. Hall.— Talbert Fanning.— James E. Matthews. . 55 

CHAPTER XI. 
Tour with Hughes to Missouri.— Cummins Brown. — Louis Byram.— Conver- 
sion of Elijah Goodwin, then a small boy.— Cast the net for a fish and caught 
a frog.— The frog's revenge.— The home of Kincaid.— Swimming rivers by 
day and camping out by night.— Springfield, Illinois.— Lost in the night.— 
Crossing the Snigh and other bayous. — A severe chill.— Recovered.— Meet- 
ing at Ramsey's Creek, Missouri.— The last fall of the wrestler.— Franklin 
county. — Boone. —Howard, — Taken sick. — A hymn, etc. . . .61 

CHAPTER XII. 
A tour to Virginia. — Almost without food for two days. — A witch converted.— 
• She surprises the superstitious mountaineers by sinking. — A triumph for 
truth.— Home again. .......... 68 

CHAPTER XIII. 
Our mode of worship.— No choirs, nor tuning-forks. — Acre.— Shick.— The runt • 
calf.— Conference in Ohio.— Our blunders. — Working a miracle. — A disap- 
pointed enthusiast. .......... 71 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Call to Virginia.— Counter-call to Missouri.— Doubts and perplexities,— Ham- 
rick, Hughes and Dooley.— At Indianapolis.— Horses escape.— The pursuit. 

— They give up the tour and return home.— Moss saddles.— Backgirths and 
stirrups.— Sad disappointment.— Faith shaken as to the call to the ministry. 

— The visit of the Muse.— The poetical effusion.— The ministering angel- 
wife. 70 

CHAPTER XV. 

Preaches in Highland county.— Baptism of a cripple.— Treatment by a preach- 
er.— Attack by a ruffian.— The ruffian flies.— Does not accept fully the doc- 
trine of non-resistance. ......... 83 



Contents. vii 



CHAPTER XVI. page 

Still despondent— Advice to young soldiers.— Tour to Missouri with his brother 
John . — Lexington. — Dover. — Mixing things. — The rattlesnake. — Howard 
county.— Fall ircm his horse.— Raccoons.— Safe at home— Lungs involved. 

— No lions in those days. — All praise to God. — Why not ? . . .88 

CHAPTER XVII. 
Starts in company with John Rogers, for Virginia. — Churches visited by the 
way.— Need of caring for weak churches.— Visit to their uncle, John Will- 
iamson.— Parson Mitchell's attempt to immerse.— A Calvinistic argument. 

— Great awakening in Pittsylvania county. — The O'Kellyites. . . % 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Meeting at Charlotte Court-house.— Clopton and Alexander Campbell.— Con- 
flicting views about Alexander Campbell in Virginia. — Meeting at Fred- 
ericksburg.— Brother Eite.— Visit to Washington's tomb.— Baltimore and 
Harford county.— Judge Norris and wife.— A model family.— Reflections en 
female education— The creed question. — Salem and Hanoverton. Ohio.— 
John Secrist and John Whitacre.— Home again.— Reflections on the support 
01 preachers. ........... 102 

CHAPTER XIX. 

A desire to see and hear for himself.— He hears Alexander Campbell for him- 
self.— Hi* opinion oi him.— Reflections.— Attempt at schism.— The church 
has rest.— Waltei Scott.— Aylett Raines.— The Mahoning Association. . ill 

CHAPTER XX. 
Our worship then and now.— The contrast.— In bondage.— Sighing foi freedom. 

— The bait of the enslavei. — Had the right creed.— Our advantage.— Re- 
baptism. . . . . . . . . . . . .123 

CHAPTER XXI. 
Brother Campbell misunderstood.— Compelled to seek ? new home in the West. 

— Stars falling, description of.— The journey.— The safe arrival. . .129 

CHAPTER XXII. 
Joseph Franklin's family. — A happy union.— How to treat our adversaries.— 
Conversions and the extension oi the gospel. . » . . 141 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

Confession and baptism of John I. Rogers.— Results of the revival.— Benjamin 
Franklin as a preacher.— Valuable counsel tc preacheis and young converts. 147 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

Removal tc Darke county. Ohio.— Visit tc Antioch.— Success.— Again settled at 
his old home, among loving friends. . . . . . . .152 

CHAPTER XXV. 

Third visit to Missouri.— Elder Dockhart at Belleville.— Terre Haute and the 
Combses.— Great meeting in Franklin county, Missouri. — Philip Miller.— 
Urged to make another visit. . . . . . . . .158 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

Fourth visit tc Missouri. — Conversion of a skeptic— Sermon on Election.— 
Total Depravity.— Being born in a potato-pateh does not make you e potato. 

— Being shapen in the forest does no! give yon the nature of a tree. . 1G4 



viii Contents. 

CHAPTEL XXVII. FAQE 

Fourth trip to Missouri.— Tricks ci opposers.— Owens.— Bowman baptizes face 
foremost —His converts leave him.— An earnest call to return tc Missouri. 171 

CHAPTEE XXVIII. 
Filth tour tc Missouri.— Baotism oi a dying girl.— Revival in Gasconade Valley. 

— A house built and the cause permanent— Young Hooson shaving shingles. 

— He rises above suspicion— A traveling companion tor two years.— His 
politeness and humility.— One make? the log-heap the other fires it.— The 
teachei sits at the ieet ci tne pupil.— Ham's text ; toolish preaching.— Thos. 
M. Allen' 179 

CHAPTEE XXIX. 
Leaves Missouri and sojourns awhile in Guernsey county. Indiana.— No rest 
tor him whc is called tc save souls.— Settles in Carlisle. Kentucky.— Preach- 
es af Indian Creek Carlisle, and in Jessamine county.— Elkhorn Mission to 
the mountains.— William Rogers, with one wite and twenty-twc children.— 
How he talked tc the mountaineers about guns.— Crying babies.— William 
Jarrott IBs 

CHAPTER XXX. 
John T. Johnston. — John G. Thompkins. — Great ingathering at Somerset.— 
Spencei.— Owingsville.— J. P. Clark.— Cynthiana.— His neighbors. . . 193 

CHAPTER XXXI. 
Last visit tc Missouri. ........ . 205 



AUTOBIOGRAPHY 

—OF 

ELDER SAMUEL ROGERS. 



CHAPTER I. 



Birth in Virginia. — Emigration to Kentucky. — Settlement near Dan- 
ville in the year 1793. — Eemoval to Clark County, — Manners and 
Customs of those times. 

I was born in Charlotte county, Virginia, November 
6, 1789, and was the eldest son of Ezekiel Rogers, whose 
father emigrated from Smithfield, England, a few years 
before the middle of the eighteenth century, and set- 
tled in Bedford county, Virginia. The family had no 
means of tracing any direct relationship to the distin- 
guished martyr, John Rogers, who was burned at Smith- 
field in the year 1555. But my aunt Susan, a maiden lady 
of vivid imagination, was able to make out the connec- 
tion quite to her satisfaction, suspended, however, upon 
very flimsy calculations — certainly too flimsy for the 
settlement of ancient honors upon our family. My 
ambitious aunt, as if sensible of the weakness of her 
cause, was in the habit of closing her argument with a 
flourish of the following facts, viz.: That her father 
came from Smithfield, England, where the distinguished 
martyr suffered ; that his family were all Protestants ; 
that all were partial to the name John; and last, though 
not least, that, as far back as their genealogy could be 
traced, not one of the name had ever been known to 
show the white feather. This last mentioned fact was 
compensating and comforting, indeed, inasmuch as it is 
far better to have the spirit of a martyr in the breast 
than to have the blood of a martyr in the veins. When 
my father, Ezekiel Rogers, was but an infant, my grand - 

1 



2 Autobiography of 

father embarked for England to obtain a small patri- 
mony that had been left him by his relatives, and he was 
never heard of afterwards. After exhausting every 
available resource to obtain information, no tidings could 
be had either of the ill-fated vessel upon which he 
sailed, or of its crew. This sad circumstance weighed 
so heavily upon the widowed mother that both her body 
and mind gave way, and she soon died, leaving four little 
orphans, Ezekiel being the youngest. 

The waves of the sea having carried away the father, 
and the waves of sorrow having borne the mother to an 
untimely grave, the little ones were thrown upon the 
charity of the world. By a happy providence they 
were kindly cared for, and found as much comfort as 
ordinarily falls to the lot of fatherless and motherless 
children. 

At the age of fifteen my father joined a company of 
light-horse, belonging to the regiment of Colonel Wash- 
ington. He was at the battle of Cowpens, where Tarle- 
ton was defeated and pursued so closely that he lost his 
cue. He continued in the service to the close of the 
Revolution, was present at the siege of York, and wit- 
nessed the surrender of Cornwallis. Soon after this he 
married Rebecca Williamson, of Charlotte county, Vir- 
ginia, a woman of strong mind and deep devotion to the 
Christian religion. She was a member of the Church 
of England, but, under the teachings of the Wesleyan 
Reformers, she early took her stand with the Methodists, 
and had me christened by Bishop Asbury, who was the 
first American Bishop after the separation of the Meth- 
odists from the Church of England in the year 1784. 

In the year 1793, my father, with his little family, 
joined a band of emigrants bound for Central Ken- 
tucky. Passing through Cumberland Gap and the Crab 
Orchard, he sojourned for a few months in the neighbor- 
hood of certain Virginia acquaintances, who had pre- 
ceded him a few years and settled on the waters of Salt 
River, a few miles southwest of Danville, then in Mercer 
county. 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 3 

The country was, for the most part, a tangled wilder- 
ness. The thick cane and undergrowth so obstructed 
the way, that the faithful packhorse was the pioneer's 
main dependence for conveying his family and household 
effects. 

A few rude culinary instruments, with bread and 
meat for the journey, constituted the contents of one 
end of a large sack, called a wallet, made somewhat after 
the fashion of saddlebags ; while a small bed and bed- 
ding, with now and then a little fellow too small to 
retain his equilibrium on horseback, were ordinarily 
stowed away in the other, the head of the little one pro- 
truding just far enough for breathing purposes. The 
mother sat enthroned between this moving kitchen and 
nursery, guiding the horse and administering to the 
wants of the babes, while the proud father, with unerring 
rifle on his shoulder, and his faithful dog by his side, led 
the way, dreaming of contentment and plenty in the 
Canaan of the West. 

It was somew^hat after this fashion that I found a safe 
and comfortable passage across the wilderness to the new 
home in Kentucky. Finding an opportunity of making a 
more favorable settlement, my father moved with his 
family to Clark county, and located on Stoner Creek, 
eight miles from Winchester, in what was called the Gay 
and Patton neighborhood. His family found comfort- 
able quarters at Strode's Station, two miles from Win- 
chester, while he and his faithful servant-boy built their 
cabin in the deep forest. 

Seventy-five years have made great changes upon the 
face of the country and in the habits of the people 
about Winchester, and in my father's old neighborhood. 
Seventy-five years ago, dense forests and thick cane 
covered the face of the earth, except here and there, 
where some emigrant had reared his cabin and bleared 
out the cane and undergrowth in small patches, that he 
might raise a scant supply of the necessaries of life. 
The man who could boast of an orchard of young seed- 
lings was almost an object of envy. Poultry-yards and 



4 Autobiography of 

pig-pens were not altogether unknown in the country, 
but wild turkeys supplied abundantly the place of tame 
fowls, while venison or bear meat was a good substitute 
for pork. Tea and coffee were rare luxuries, to be in- 
dulged in only on Sunday, and then in small quantities, 
and of poor quality. Sassafras and sage teas were most 
common, and reluctant children were induced to drink 
them from the consideration that the free use of these 
beverages would purify the blood and prevent the use of 
senna or the lancet. The maple supplied us abundantly 
with molasses and sugar. Even the thought of sugar- 
making now stirs the old blood in my veins, as some of 
my most pleasant memories are associated with the old- 
fashioned sugar-camp. I have watched the boiling 
sugar-water for hours, waiting with impatience for the 
consummation of my joys — the time of " stirring off." 
Always I have regretted the destruction of our beautiful 
maple forests of Kentucky — not only because the for- 
ests themselves were beautiful, and full of sweet memo- 
ries, but especially because of the short supply of pure 
maple molasses, which, to my taste, has no parallel in 
the world. If I were to have the appointment of my 
winter breakfasts, I would always have, among other 
things, a stack of hot buckwheat cakes and the old 
family jug of home-made tree molasses, and, to crown 
the feast, a good strong cup of tea. 

What would the Clark county children now think of 
the breakfasts and suppers of those early times? A 
breakfast of boiled milk and bread, or of milk and 
bread cold, according to taste — a supper of mush and 
milk, in a pewter dish, eaten with a pewter spoon, while 
sitting either upon the uncarpeted floor or upon the 
three-legged stool. 

I can tell them that their grandfathers and grand- 
mothers were happy and contented with such living, had 
fewer aches and pains, had more rosy cheeks and slept 
more soundly, had better dreams and clearer consciences, 
I doubt not, than their more aristocratic and wealthy 
descendants. Those hardy pioneers had few of the lux- 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 5 

uries of life, but they had what was far better — good 
constitutions and good common sense. They had no 
time to sigh for what was out of reach, but brought 
their wants within the limits of their supplies. They 
had no plank, but laid their floors with rough puncheons. 
Instead of the large windows of the present day, which 
put the housewife to so much extra trouble and expense 
in draping and shading them to exclude the flood of 
light, they had a square opening in one side or end of 
the cabin, which they covered with paper, or muslin, 
which they then oiled, so as to make it translucent. The 
people had very little money then, and they needed but 
little. He was satisfied who had enough to pay for his 
salt and leather, and, at the end of the year, to pay his 
taxes. They were often without either salt or leather, 
and without the money to buy with. In such cases I 
have known clean hickory ashes to be used for salt, and 
buckskin moccasins instead of leather shoes. As a 
rule, the children went shoeless until they were large 
enough to engage in profitable out-door labor. For 
some time after we settled in Clark county we had no 
school near; and, while we remained in the county, I do 
not remember of having heard of a religious meeting or 
meeting-house. Our first school was taught in the 
neighborhood of Gateskills, by a young Mr. Stewart, in 
the year 1799, as well as I remember. 

Hornback, on Strode's Creek, built the first mill in the 
neighborhood. Before that was done, w^e used hand- 
mills and graters. The grater was used in the fall of 
the year, before the corn became hard enough to grind. 
A Mr. Vert built the first mill I know of on Stoner; 
this was near North Middletown, and is now called 
Lidner's Mill. Here I had my first battle. Bowie 
knives and pistols were seldom used in those days, 
although fist-fighting was of frequent occurrence. My 
father never quarreled with any one, but w r as ever ready 
to resent an insult with blows, and he generally brought 
his adversary to speedy terms. He warned me against 
his example, both as to fighting and using profane 



6 Autobiography of 

language, declaring that one in the family was enough to 
do all the fighting and swearing. Poor as was this argu- 
ment, I knew better than to disregard it. It was fre- 
quently my misfortune to be imposed upon, and, at 
times, quite roughly handled, by a boy named Jack 
Kirk, who lived near Vert's mill; and, although I 
believed myself capable of punishing the insolent tyrant, 
the remembrance of my father's admonition restrained 
me. Still I felt it degrading to be compelled to bear 
insult upon insult without resentment. A small cir- 
cumstance changed my father's mind, and had the effect 
of quite changing his counsel. As he and I were passing 
Kirk's house together one day, this boy Jack, watching 
his opportunity, hurled a stone at my head, which, miss- 
ing its mark, struck my father in the back. The young- 
ster beat a hasty retreat, and was soon out of sight. My 
father turned to me, and said: "Sam, the next time 
Jack insults or abuses you, if you do not whip him, I 
will whip you as soon as I hear of it." This pleased 
me. ' The first time I went to the mill after this, the 
much coveted opportunity to redress my wrongs pre- 
sented itself. I soon brought the insolent fellow to 
terms, made him beg my pardon for past offenses and 
promise to amend his life in the future. Shortly after 
this, we parted to meet no more until, as soldiers in the 
war of 1812, we met on the Northern lakes, when Jack 
Kirk thanked me for what I had done, saying that I had 
made a man of him. 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 



CHAPTER II. 

His father makes a prospecting tour Westward. — Passes O'Post, now 
Vincennes. — Crosses the Mississippi at Paincourt, now St. Louis. — 
Purchases land on the Missouri, twenty miles above St. Louis — 
Removes with his family to his new home in 1801. — He is pleased 
with his new home. — Fertile lands. — Wild game and fruits. — The 
first water-mill. — Night overtakes him in the forest. — He is pur- 
sued by wolves. — Makes a narrow escape. — Fishing and swimming 
his delight. 

In the year 1799 a pamphlet fell into my father's 
hands which gave a glowing description of New Spain, 
or Upper Louisiana, now called Missouri. It set forth 
the great fertility of the soil, the rare beauty of the 
country, the abundance of game, and the vast extent of 
range for stock, besides the gift of six hundred and forty 
acres of land to every bona fide settler. All this was 
too much for my father, who, by this time, had contracted 
a great fondness for border life. Accordingly, in com- 
pany with a Mr. Bradley, of Clark county, he mounted 
his favorite horse, and, w T ith rifle on his shoulder, faced 
the boundless wilderness. They crossed the Ohio at the 
Falls, and took the Indian trail to O'Post, now called 
Vincennes, on the Wabash river — -the oldest settlement 
in the West, I believe. Thence they passed through to 
Paincourt, now St. Louis. This place was an insignifi- 
cant village at that time, inhabited chiefly by Spaniards 
and French. There was not a brick house in the place 
until several years afterward. The two most respectable 
dwellings were occupied, the one by Chouteau and the 
other by Gratiot, men who were for years the leading 
merchants of the place. They dealt extensively in furs, 
by which they amassed large fortunes. Furs and skins 
were the chief circulating medium of that time. There 
were two Spanish forts near the river, the one a little 
below and the other a little above the town. My recol- 
lection is that these forts had round towers, twenty or 



8 AUTOBIOGKAPHY OF 

thirty feet high. My father was offered one hundred 
and fifty acres of land near the village for a fine horse, 
which he prized very highly. That land is now covered 
with blocks of the finest business houses in the city of 
St. Louis. There was then but little promise of the 
future prosperity of the place. Indeed, it has always 
been my opinion that it was the accident of its having 
been the first trading post of that region, rather than 
any peculiar advantage in situation on the Mississippi, 
that gave it the start of all other places in the West. 
But I will venture the prediction that, without some 
great misfortune to the place, the man who lives' to see 
St. Louis in the middle of the next century will see the 
largest city this side of New York, if not the largest in 
the United States. This will be in no small degree 
owing to the fact that St. Louis, from the time of the 
Chouteaux until now, has been peculiarly blessed with 
enterprising and public-spirited men, without which no 
city has ever attained to great distinction. 

From Paincourt my father passed on to what was 
called the Bonhomme settlement, on the Missouri river, 
twenty-two miles from St. Louis. There he bought a 
tract of six hundred acres of land at one dollar per acre. 
On the tract were two log cabins, and there were about 
four acres of the land under cultivation. This place he 
rented out for one year, and laid his claim in what is 
now Franklin county, about fifty miles west of St. 
Louis, in the vicinity of South Point. 

Eeturning to Kentucky the same season, he purchased 
a small drove of cattle, which, with the assistance of his 
faithful man, Cy, he took, in a second journey through 
the wilderness, to New Spain. There he sold his cattle 
at a profit of eight hundred dollars; and with a part of 
the money he paid for the land he had purchased. The 
remainder he expended in moving to his new home. 

In the month of September, 1801, we loaded eight pack- 
horses with such things as were most useful, and started 
for our home in New Spain. I, being the oldest child, 
had to walk and carry a rifle, and help to drive the cat- 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 9 

tie over the entire route. My father advised my mother 
to leave her Bible with her friends in Kentucky, as the 
country whither we were going was under the control of 
the Catholic Church, which prohibited the use of it 
among the common people ; and that the discovery of 
her Bible might involve the family in trouble. She 
would not listen to such counsel, however, but deter- 
mined at every hazard to carry her Bible with her, say- 
ing she could not think of roaring her children without 
it, and would not be willing to live in any country where 
she could not have the benefit of the Word of God. To 
avoid the vigilant eye of the priest, she sewed it in a 
feather bed, and carried it safely through, and found it, 
indeed, a " lamp to her feet and light to her path" in 
her wilderness home. The priest never gave her any 
trouble. We carried with us a large tent, under which 
the family found ample protection from the storm. 
Before the door of our tent we built large fires, which 
afforded us both comfort and light by night, as well as 
facilities for cooking, etc. We camped several days on 
the little Wabash, very near the place where the village 
of Maysville now stands. This was in what is now Clay 
county, Illinois. Here my father killed and jerked 
venison enough for our journey. The common practice 
of jerking venison and beef in those days was carried on 
by cutting the meat into thin slices, and exposing it to a 
moderate heat, until it became perfectly dry. It then 
might be put away and kept for a long time without the 
use of salt. While camping on the little Wabash, my 
father killed a young buffalo, the first one I had ever 
seen running wild. The tenderloin of this young animal 
was very delicious. I went to the little river that ran 
close to our camp, to assist my father in washing the wild 
meat which he had brought in, and I was astonished at 
the quantities of fish that inhabited those waters. When 
w T e threw the offal into the river the hungry fish fairly 
made the water boil in struggling after it. 

We were about four weeks, altogether, on our journey, 
and to me they were four happy weeks. My experiences 



10 Autobiography of 

were the richest of my boyhood life. In the neighbor- 
hood of the Missouri river I had my first experience in 
eating persimmons. A stranger gave me a few ripe 
ones, and they were so delicious that I sought and found 
the tree upon which they had grown. In my eagerness, 
I failed to discriminate between the ripe and the half- 
ripe fruit; so I ate rapidly for some minutes until I 
found my mouth so contracted that I could eat no more. 
I came down from that tree, if not a better, certainly a 
wiser boy. I had learned to discriminate to a better 
advantage afterwards. 

We were all delighted with our new home. I, espe- 
cially, was pleased to find game and wild fruit so abund- 
ant, and so easily obtained. Our table was rarely without 
venison, turkey and fish of the choicest kind. The 
most delicious honey was obtained, not only in the 
forest, but also in the prairie grass. The glades afforded 
strawberries in their season, and along the streams I 
found the fox grape, and the summer grape, and a large 
white grape, more delicious than anything of the wild- 
grape kind I have ever known. Indeed, the white 
grape of the Missouri river-banks would rival in sweet- 
ness our best cultivated varieties. Also, we had goose- 
berries in abundance, and no thorn upon the fruit or bush. 

The lands were very fertile, and produced as fine 
crops of grain as any in the State. Frederick Bates, 
afterwards Governor of Missouri, bought this place of 
my father, and lived and died upon it. I have always 
regretted that sale, and longed to repossess that home, 
around which so many youthful associations cluster. 

For two or three years we had no grist-mills, except 
such as were run by hand. These were made of two 
rudely dressed stones, about twenty inches in diameter, 
placed one upon the other. The lower one being fast- 
ened permanently in a wooden frame, the other was 
moved by a small upright shaft, working in a round 
socket above, and let into one side of the stone by a sim- 
ilar socket. Taking hold of this shaft, the stone could 
be turned with great rapidity, but the grinding by such 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 11 

a process was tedious and very laborious. Sometimes we 
geared our hand-mills with bands, so that we could turn 
them by an ordinary crank; but this increased the 
expense of the machinery, and, on that account, was 
rarely used. 

In the year 1804, Mr. Lawrence Long built a water- 
mill on Bonum Creek. This was considered to be a 
long stride toward civilization. My first trip to this 
mill was an eventful one for a boy only fourteen years 
old. Getting to the mill rather late in the day, and 
having to wait my turn, I was detained until after 
nightfall, and, therefore, had a dark and lonely journey 
before me. However, with a brave heart, I mounted 
my pony, and struck out for home. Having passed 
about half the distance — sometimes singing snatches of 
rude songs, and sometimes whistling to keep up my 
courage — there suddenly fell upon my ear sounds of 
distant music, which had not a very tranquilizing effect 
upon my nerves. At first I tried to persuade myself 
that what I had heard was only the echo of my own 
voice ; but, after listening for some minutes, I caught 
the sound again, and knew that a pack of hungry wolves 
were on my trail. Every moment shortened the dis- 
tance between us, until soon their wild howls began to 
make the night hideous. The sound of their approach 
animated my horse, so that I needed neither whip nor 
spur to bring him to his best speed, which he kept up 
for the rest of the way. The wolves followed us to 
within a very short distance of the house, and seemed 
quite reluctant to give up the chase ; but, after lingering 
awhile about the premises, they departed, and I heard 
no more of them that night. I do not suppose that I 
was in any great danger from them, unless I had fallen 
from my horse, and, even then, it is doubtful if they 
would have attacked me. Nevertheless, the experience 
was such as to leave a vivid impression upon my mind, 
never to be erased in time. I can yet hear the fiendish 
yells of that hungry pack, as if they were just at mjr 
heels. 



12 Autobiography of 

My father, being a very industrious and enterprising 
man, kept us all at work, except on Saturday afternoons 
and Sundays, when we were free to engage in any sport 
we might choose. The " Muddy River " which is the 
meaning of "Missouri," had the greatest attractions 
for me. In this river I learned to swim, and I became 
so accustomed to the water that I often performed the 
feat of swimming entirely across it and back again. In 
these waters I learned the art of angling, which all of 
my friends know is yet much practiced by me. The 
Missouri has always been famous for large cat-fish and 
buffalo-fish ; of these, in a few hours on Sunday morn- 
ing, I have caught a large load for a packhorse to carry. 
Although I often fished on Sunday, I suppose that I was 
not without some good impulses ; but the thought of 
doing any good in the world had not entered my mind, 
I was so taken up with the wild sports of that almost 
heathen land. I hardly dreamed that there was any 
civilization or refinement in store for the country for 
generations to come ; nor do I remember that I had any 
desire for a change: the glades, and forest, and river 
afforded charms enough for me. 



Elder Samuel Kogers. 13 



CHAPTER III. 

The cession of the territory to the United States in 1804. — Lewis 
and Clark. — They winter in the vicinity. — Emigration is stimu- 
lated. — The dawn of civilization. — The first preachers. — His father 
sells out and returns to Kentucky. — He settles in Bourbon, now 
Nicholas county. — Marriage. — A grateful tribute to his wife and 
mother-in-law. — Conversion under the preaching of Stone and 
Dooley. 

Two circumstances occurred about this time which 
resulted in swelling the tide of emigration and bringing 
the dawn of civilization into our country. Napoleon 
having gained from Spain, by conquest, all that country 
called Louisiana, ceded it to the United States by a 
treaty, which, I believe, was ratified in the year 1804. 
It was stipulated that he should receive for the entire 
territory §15,000,000, which, at that time, was considered 
an exorbitant price. Jefferson's administration was 
subjected to severe criticism, not only on account of the 
large price which was paid for the land, but also because 
of his having exercised unwarranted authority in the 
premises by making said treaty. However this might 
have been, the measure became very popular, inasmuch 
as it secured to the United States a vast amount of ter- 
ritory of very fertile lands, as well as the free naviga- 
tion of the Mississippi. 

The other circumstance, of less general importance, 
was particularly beneficial to our part of the country. 
Lewis and Clark, who had been commissioned to explore 
the country from the mouth of the Missouri to its 
source, and from the headwaters of the Columbia river 
to its mouth, spent their first winter in our neighbor- 
hood. The accounts which they and their men sent 
back to their friends concerning our country were so 
favorable that, the following season, great numbers vis- 
ited our neighborhood, and purchased homes. From 



14 Autobiography of 

this time our part of the country was destined to be 
settled with marvelous rapidity. 

We began to see the dawning of civilization, and to 
hear the people talk, for the first time, about schools 
and churches. Up to this time, we had never seen a 
preacher, or a school-teacher. When we first arrived in 
that country, my father said, in my hearing, that, if his 
children lived to be each one hundred years old, wild 
pasture and game would there be abundant all of their 
lives. For my part, I did not dream that I should live 
to see the country densely populated, and to see great 
cities springing up hundreds of miles west of that place. 
Nevertheless, the people continued to pour into the land 
so rapidly, that we soon began to fear for our free 
pastures and abundant wild meat. 

By industry and frugality, my father, in a short time, 
had a farm tolerably well improved, with a large peach 
orchard and comfortable buildings upon it ; and we were 
quite " well-to do," for those times, in a temporal point 
of view. But, while success in accumulating a goodly 
amount of the perishable things of this life attended us, 
our spiritual wants were almost wholly neglected. Per- 
haps I ought not to say that our souls were entirely 
neglected, since our mother did all that she could do, 
under the circumstances, in the way of giving us relig- 
ious instruction. But for that godly woman, with her 
old family Bible, we would have been in almost total 
darkness. She was ever vigilant and concerned about 
our immortal souls ; so much so that my father often 
became greatly worried, and would lose his patience. 
Still she persevered in her entreaties and exhortations 
until she gained his consent to allow her to have the 
children named — christened, as she called it. 

Preparations were making for this ceremony, when a 
Baptist preacher, by the name of Music, came into our 
midst, and preached a series of sermons on Baptism, 
which convinced our mother that the immersion of 
adults in water was the only Christian baptism. A 
Methodist minister, by the name of Parker, soon fol- 



Elder Samuel Kogers. 15 

lowed in a series of sermons; but, being unable to con- 
vince my mother that sprinkling is baptism, proposed to 
immerse her. She, however, declined, saying that she 
preferred to be immersed by one whose preaching and 
practice harmonized. All I knew of the Christian 
religion, until I had grown to the stature of a man, I 
learned from those two preachers, my mother, and the 
old family Bible, which my mother took to that country 
in her feather bed. I do not remember having seen 
any other Bible until I was nineteen years of age. 

I never had the opportunity of attending school but 
three months in my life ; at the end of those months I 
could read and write, and cipher to the " Single Rule of 
Three," when I graduated with honor. I have often 
regretted that my early opportunities were so poor, and 
that so much of my early life was spent in the back- 
woods. It may be, however, that the hardships and pri- 
vations of the pioneer were the very means employed 
by our all-wise Father to fit me for usefulness in the 
fields I was to occupy in future years. 

In the fall of 1809, on account of circumstances not 
necessary to mention here, my father sold his farm, 
moved back to Kentucky, and settled in what was then 
Bourbon, but is now Nicholas county, about midway 
between Millersburg and Carlisle. Here we were happy 
to find that Andrew Irvin had settled, having moved 
a short time before from Mercer county, Ky. 

In the autumn of 1812, 1 married Elizabeth, youngest 
daughter of Andrew Irvin, and to this fact I owe all 
that I am, under God, and all that I hope to be. The 
female portion of this family was quite religiously in- 
clined, but my young wife was especially pious. She 
was greatly interested for my salvation, and, by prayer- 
ful and continued efforts, was not long in leading me to 
the cross of that Saviour who had given her abounding 
life and peace. 

My wife's family had been reared after the strictest 
sect of Presbyterianism. Her mother was a sister of 
Parson James Mitchell, of Bedford county, Virginia. 



16 Autobiography of 

Mitchell was a divinity student, under old Parson Rice, 
whose daughter he afterwards married. He became 
eminent, both as a preacher and teacher, among the 
Presbyterians in his neighborhood. It was a rare occur- 
rence for a Mitchell, or an Irvin, to contract a marriage, 
or associate, on intimate terms, with any who were not 
loyal to the Westminster creed. There are now, in the 
neighborhood of Danville, hundreds of their descend- 
ants — McDoughalls, Irvins, Lyles, Caldwells, Lapsleys 
and Rices — all of whom, so far as I have been able to 
learn, still adhere to Presbyterianism with the tenacity 
of their fathers. 

A few years before my connection with Andrew 
Irvin's family, a fortunate circumstance liberated them 
from the shackles of Presbyterianism. In 1801, the 
family lived on Cane Ridge, in Bourbon county, near 
the place where Barton W. Stone, with five other dis- 
tinguished Presbyterian divines, wrote the Last Will and 
Testament of the Springfield Presbytery. They lived 
even nearer to the place where Stone held the most 
remarkable revival meeting on record, an account of 
which I give in another chapter. My wife's family 
became early attached to Stone, and, by his persuasive 
eloquence, were induced to renounce the Westminster 
Confession, and go with the thousands who, having 
abandoned the church of their fathers, followed the 
simple teachings of the Holy Scriptures, as the only safe 
and infallible rule of faith and practice. 

My mother-in-law, having a strong mind and reten- 
tive memory, possessed fine colloquial powers, and, being 
well versed in the Scriptures, was quite ready in an argu- 
ment. She was altogether the most pious and godly 
woman I ever knew. Her godly example and conver- 
sation had a great influence on my mind and life. I 
became seriously inclined, and, under the preaching of 
Stone and R. Doolcy, I became a firm believer in Chris- 
tianity, was convicted of sin, and immersed in Hingston 
Creek, near Jackstown, a very short time after my 
marriage. 



Eldek Samuel Rogers. 17 



CHAPTER IV. 

Declaration of war. — He enlists under Metcalf. — St. Mary's. — Fort 
Defiance. — Meigs. — Dudley's defeat. — Sickness. — Left to die in a 
blockhouse. — His friends save him. — His arrival at home. — Re- 
cruiting service. — End of the war.— Demoralization. — Fortunate 
appearing of Reuben Dooley. — Revival at Old Concord. — Habits 
of the young converts. — All pray. — Most of them exhort. — Views 
in regard to conversion and the call to the ministry. — Strange 
notions concerning Providence. 

I was hopeful and zealous, and, for a long time, my 
spiritual horizon was without a cloud. This state of 
things, however, was not of very long duration. I w^as 
but a babe in Christ, and poorly prepared to withstand 
the temptations in store for me. 

War had been declared between England and the 
United States, and my country was calling loudly for 
volunteers. Both my father and father-in-law had vol- 
unteered in the Revolutionary war, and had fought 
through it. I had been taught to believe it disgraceful 
to wait for the draft; accordingly I volunteered in Cap- 
tain Metcalf 's company, bid adieu to my young wife and 
friends, and marched to the rendezvous at Cynthiana, 
where we joined our regiment, commanded by William 
E. Boswell. At Covington, we fell in with Colonel 
Dudley's regiment, and we marched together to Fort 
Meigs. From Pickway to Meigs, we marched through 
an unbroken wilderness until we struck St. Mary's 
Blockhouse, on St. Mary's river ; then we got upon flat- 
boats loaded with flour for Fort Defiance. Upon arriv- 
ing at this fort we learned that Fort Meigs was being 
besieged. At Defiance we received orders to unload our 
flour, and stockade our boats. Our regiment was ordered 
to land a mile above the besieged fort, while Dudley was 
ordered to land on the other side of the river, spike the 
cannon of the British, and return to the boats. 



18 Autobiography of 

History tells how bravely he executed this order, and 
then allowed himself to be decoyed into ambush, so that 
he was entirely cut off. Out of his seven hundred men, 
only one hundred and fifty escaped. I assisted in the 
sad task of burying Dudley and his men, whom we 
found stripped to nakedness, scalped and dreadfully 
mutilated. 

We succeeded in driving back the Indians that were 
on our side of the river, and were afterwards enabled to 
take the two British cannon that were below the fort. 
In this engagement I made a narrow escape from death, 
although I was not fully aware of it until the fight was 
over, when I counted seven holes in my clothing, which 
had been made by the enemy's balls. 

Having landed above the fort, and being fairly en- 
gaged w T ith the enemy, General Harrison discovered 
that the Indians were falling back, and, fearing that 
we might be led into ambush, sent Major John T. 
Johnston with orders for us to fall back, else we might 
share the fate of Dudley's regiment. Major Barton 
loaned his very fine charger to Johnston for this occa- 
sion, but a ball from the enemy killed him under his 
brave rider, and Major Johnston was compelled to get 
back as best he could. Johnston was ready to compen- 
sate Barton for his loss, but he would receive not a cent. 

The success that attended our arms at Fort Meigs 
would have been made the occasion of much rejoicing, 
but for the cloud that hung over our spirits on account 
of Dudley's defeat. Though it may be a display of 
bravery, it is unsoldierlike to disobey orders. Croghan 
disobeyed, and succeeded ; Dudley disobeyed, and was 
defeated. Disobedience brought death into the world, 
with untold misery and ruin. 

Very soon after this battle, I was taken down by a 
very low form of fever, called, in that day, typhus. I 
was in an unconscious state, and entirely helpless, during 
a period of six weeks. Though unconscious of what 
was taking place around me, I seemed to be traveling 
in a dreamland all the time. I thought I was riding 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 19 

behind a heartless creature, on a rough, clumsy horse, 
over the roughest road I had ever known. At one time 
we were ascending rocky hights, with deep gorges on 
either side, with scarcely the width of a horse-path be- 
tween them. Again, we seemed to go thundering down 
steep mountain sides, at a break-neck speed; and oh, 
how it made my head throb, and my bones rattle ! I 
remonstrated with the wretch for carrying me over such 
rough ground, but to no purpose. At length my patience 
became threadbare, and I slid off the horse, saying, " I 
shall proceed this way no further;" and, for the first 
time, consciousness returned. 

When I awoke, the boom of the cannon was roaring 
in my ears, and, upon learning that the Indians had 
again besieged the fort, I called for my musket, but 
soon came to myself sufficiently to realize the fact that 
I could not turn myself on my cot, much less use a 
musket. I do not believe that I had been twice 
changed in position during my sickness, so inattentive 
were our nurses. This neglect resulted in the sloughing 
of the flesh from the side of my limbs on which I had 
so long been lying. Although I have lived to become 
an old man, I have never been as able-bodied as I was 
before that sickness. When in a condition to be moved, 
I, with other invalids, was carried to Seneca, situated 
near the mouth of the Sandusky river, where General 
Harrison had his camp, and near Fort Stephenson, 
where Colonel Croghan, with one hundred and fifty 
men, defended himself so gallantly against one thou- 
sand, and for which General Harrison was compelled 
to reprimand him, though the army was so loud in his 
praise. 

The main army soon left for Canada, and I engaged a 
man to take me home. I was poorly able to ride, but 
had no comforts where I was, and became convinced 
that my life depended upon my getting home. This man 
was so fearful of the Indians that he hurried me along 
at such a rate that I gave out, and was left at Scioto 
Blockhouse. Here, I was alone and helpless. In the 



20 Autobiography of 

evening, the occupants of the blockhouse came in, and 
found me almost in a dying condition. Fortunately, I 
knew one of the men, Tom Lancaster, from Millersburg, 
who kindly waited on me, until, contrary to my expec- 
tations, I began to recover, and to think again of trying 
to get back to my family. I now sent word, by the 
man who had left me at the blockhouse, to my friends 
in Kentucky about my condition. No sooner did my 
brothers-in-law, John and Joshua Irvin, hear where I 
was, than they got horses, and hurried on to my relief. 
I waited, with great impatience, for strength and oppor- 
tunity to enable me to get on my way, and was almost 
ready to give up the idea of seeing my friends again, 
when the familiar voices of my two friends, saluting my 
ear, made my heart leap for joy. They bore me quietly 
along the way, by short stages, so that I really improved ; 
though, at times, we were on the point of starvation. I 
arrived at home in the month of October, 1813, and 
remained sick for the most of the winter. 

The following summer, I entered the recruiting ser- 
vice, having stations at Lexington, Paris, Washington 
and Maysville. Upon the approach of winter, I went 
out to Maiden, and there remained until peace was 
declared. We received our discharge at Detroit, and, 
after the disbanding of the army, we crossed the lake to 
Cleveland, then a very small village, but now one of the 
most beautiful cities of the lakes. Seven of us started 
for home on foot, and, after much privation and suffer- 
ing, we arrived safe at Steubenville, on the Ohio. Here, 
we got upon a keel-boat, and came down to Maysville ; 
thence we proceeded to our home, where we found all 
well, and rejoicing that the war was at an end. 

During the war, the people became estranged from 
the house of worship, and a general coldness and demor- 
alization prevailed. Licentiousness and corruption, the 
natural offspring of war, had taken the place of virtue 
and good order. A few, here and thore, who had not 
bowed the knee to Baal, were still holding on their way, 
prayerfully and trustfully looking for a belter day. I, 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 21 

myself, was not exempt from the baleful influences of 
the war ; exposed, daily, to the severest tests of my 
Christian integrity, and, having been in the recruiting 
service for some time, which, by the way, is the most 
corrupt and corrupting service of war, I had forgotten 
my first love, and turned back to my old sinful ways. 

About this time, there appeared amongst us a most 
remarkable character, in the person of Reuben Dooley, 
from the settlements of Barren county, Kentucky. Reu- 
ben Dooley was considerably my senior, a man of great 
physical endurance, plain in his attire, and, in his address, 
humble as a little child ; but zealous, prayerful, hopeful 
and untiring in his labors of love. His forte, as a 
preacher, was chiefly in exhortation. Those who have 
heard the elder Creath, in his palmiest days, may form 
some idea of his eloquence. His compass of voice was 
such that he could be distinctly heard by thousands in 
the open air, at one time. This man, providentially, 
came to our help most opportunely. He commenced a 
revival at Old Concord, three miles southeast of Carlisle, 
in Nicholas county. The influence of this meeting 
extended to Cane Ridge, in Bourbon county, and, indeed, 
spread far and wide, until hundreds were again rallied 
to the standard of the Prince of Peace, and hundreds 
converted to Christ. Under the searching appeals of 
this wonderful man of God, my heart was again melted, 
and, from that day to the present year of grace, 1870, 1, 
myself, have been humbly striving to call sinners to 
repentance. At this revival, two of my sisters, Fanny 
and Lucy, and my wife, were baptized, as, also, were 
my brothers-in-law, William, John and Joshua Irvin, all 
of whom became very useful proclaimers. William Irvin 
soon married my sister Fanny, and moved to Ohio, where 
he labored, more or less successfully, until, within the last 
ten years, he moved to Northwestern Illinois, where, I 
learn, he is still laboring faithfully, in word and teach- 
ing, and doing much good. 

In those pioneer times, among the converts, it was 
customary for almost all of them to take some part in 



22 Autobiography of 

the social meetings that were held from house to house, 
among the brethren. Not only did most of the young 
men pray, and sometimes exhort, and relate their expe- 
riences, but some of the women prayed, and sometimes 
exhorted with great warmth. 

Brother Dooley left us, sometime in the autumn of 
1816 or 1817, to fill engagements elsewhere, and, conse- 
quently, we were without any ordained minister for 
several months. The good work, however, went on. 
Many of us exhorted, and, as I have observed, nearly 
all prayed ; so that the meetings were interesting and 
profitable, both to saints and sinners. When Brother 
Dooley returned in the spring, he found us with har- 
ness on, at work. During his absence, thirty or forty 
had professed religion, as the phrase went, and were 
ready to receive baptism at his hands. I had been exer- 
cising my gift in exhortation, teaching in a very humble 
way, during Dooley's absence; so that it began to be 
whispered among the people that I was called to the min- 
istry. Views were entertained in those days, not only by 
those of us who were derisively called New Lights, but 
by almost all denominations, both in regard to conver- 
sion and the call to the ministry, which were very 
absurd, and would now be rejected by almost every one. 
The evidences of pardon looked for then were a light, a 
whisper, a dream, or exhilarating feelings after great 
depression of spirits, etc. The evidence of a call to the 
ministry was, ordinarily, an impression, either waking or 
dreaming, that continued to rest upon the mind with 
such weight that the subject could not get rid of it. We 
made no distinction between the ordinary and the extra- 
ordinary ministers of Christ, but claimed to be in the 
shoes of the Apostles; and, hence, we expected the Lord 
to work with us in the same way that he did with the 
Apostles ; and we were praying and looking for some 
sign, or wonder, or demonstration of the power of the 
Holy Ghost. 

We believed, as Kincaid and others had taught, that 
miracles would be restored to the Church, if we could 



Elder Samuel Eogers. 23 

only attain to the proper degree of holiness. We were, 
therefore, looking continually for the beginning of more 
wonderful signs than any yet apparent. Meanwhile, we 
had to content ourselves with such mental impressions 
as could be reasonably construed into the extraordinary 
workings and unutterable calls of the Spirit. We never 
thought of finding our call in the New Testament. 

Brother Dooley, on his return, finding me using the 
little talent I had, concluded that I must have been 
called ; so he took me aside, and closely questioned me 
as to my feelings, impressions, etc. After the examina- 
tion was over, he pronounced me one of the called and 
sent of God, as was Aaron. I urged that I was not 
qualified, never having attended school but three months 
in my life, and, having had no early advantages, was 
profoundly ignorant. But he contended that the Lord's 
ways were not like our ways; nor His thoughts like 
ours ; that he had " chosen the foolish things of this 
world to confound the w T ise ; and weak things of this 
world to confound the mighty; and base things of the 
world, and things that are despised, hath God chosen, 
yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things 
which are ; that no flesh should glory in his presence." 
This w r as too much for me; so, confiding in Brother 
Dooley's superior wisdom and goodness, I was over- 
whelmed. 

I bethought me, however, that I could command but 
one horse, and that a very indifferent one, very low in 
flesh, and not by any means able to stand a journey; 
for preaching, in those days, was invariably associated 
with forsaking all and taking a journey. We thought 
of nothing short of counting all loss for Christ. We did 
not look for salary, passage, or anything of this kind; we 
went without purse or scrip, and often without our 
meals, because w r e had nothing to buy with ; and had to 
swim rivers, because we had no money to pay the ferry- 
man. 

Dooley met my difficulty again, saying that, if God 
had really called me, He w r ould sustain my horse, and 



24 Autobiography of 

fatten him on the way. Thus convinced, I started on a 
tour of ten days, through the counties of Bourbon, 
Nicholas and Fleming. As the distance from appoint- 
ment to appointment was not great, I deemed it best to 
go on foot, that I might allow my horse to recruit a 
little for harder service. 

In Fleming county, I fell in with one of the most 
powerful men of the Stone reformation, James Hughes. 
He heard me exhort, and, after the meeting was over, 
came to me, and grasped my hand, saying, " I perceive, 
my brother, that the Lord has a great work for you to 
do ; only be humble and prayerful, and the Lord will be 
with you." This confirmed what Dooley had said, and 
it gave me great encouragement. Flattery has ruined 
many a young preacher; hence, many good men are 
afraid to give a poor young preacher the word of encour- 
agement that his soul pants for, and which is indispen- 
sable to his life and strength as a preacher. I have 
never, in my life, failed to give encouragement when I 
thought it needed; and this prudent encouragement I 
have never seen work any evil. It is very easy to tem- 
per these words with a little wholesome counsel, and 
greatly benefit the young preacher. 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 25 



CHAPTER V. 

Trial by the Shakers. — Preaching in Lewis county. — Disgraceful 
scene. — His opinion of those who misbehave on occasions of 
baptism.— A tour. — The preacher and the horse cared for.— The 
King's Bounty, a cut nine-pence. — The wife's parting words. — At 
Falmouth. — Shaking hands. — In Preble county, 0. — The Dooleys 
and others. —Meeting in the woods. — Scores of mourners. — Mourn- 
ers' benches abolished. 

About this time, Dunlavy and other leaders among 
the Shakers made me a visit, with the view of gaining 
me over to the silly teachings of their Ann Lee. At 
the same time, they visited a Presbyterian neighbor of 
mine, and induced him to join them. They disturbed 
me no more, however, until, hearing how greatly the 
Lord was blessing my labors in my new field in Ohio, 
they sent some of their chief men to make a final trial 
of my faith. I treated them with courtesy, and argued 
with them out of the Scriptures, proving that they 
preached, not the gospel of Christ, but a new doctrine, 
and that, therefore, the anathemas of the Apostle were 
upon them. At length, they gave up my case as a hope- 
less one, saying, that the trouble with me was, that I 
had never been shaken. I do not know exactly what 
they meant by this remark, but I do know that Paul has 
said : " They shall turn away their ears from the truth, 
and be turned unto fables " — and that we are in no 
danger of being turned unto fables until we give up the 
truth of God. 

I felt that my trial by the Shakers had given me addi- 
tional strength and boldness to preach the gospel ; so I 
buckled on my armor, and traveled up and down the 
Ohio, on both sides, preaching, from Cincinnati to 
Portsmouth, sometimes assisted by Hughes or Dooley, 
and sometimes alone. Our labors were especially blessed 
in Lewis county, many, being convicted of sin, demand- 
ing baptism at our hands. In this county, on the occa- 

2 



26 Autobiography of 

sion of a baptism, one of the most disgraceful scenes 
took place that I ever witnessed. We had closed a very 
triumphant meeting, on the east fork of Cabin Creek, 
had repaired to the water to baptize the candidates, 
and a band of ruffians followed us, who, during the 
meeting:, had become incensed, both on account of the 
reproofs which had been given thera, and the loss of 
some of their number, who had renounced sin and 
turned to the Lord for mercy. Reuben Dooley had 
fairly begun the administration of the solemn ordinance 
of baptism, when this rabble band gathered on the bank 
opposite the congregation, and set up such wild, fiendish 
howls as never before saluted my ears. They cried, 
yelled, howled, barked, and did everything in their 
pow r er that fiendishness could invent to destroy the 
solemnity of the occasion, and make the place hideous. 
We all stood our ground, however, and Dooley pro- 
ceeded to administer baptism, as if nothing was occur- 
ring. At length, a ridiculous circumstance closed this 
disgraceful scene. A drift was lodged on the opposite 
side of the creek, upon which the trunk of a large tree 
had been caught, and was projecting out over the water, 
almost to the very spot where Dooley was baptizing. 
The ringleader of this band had perched himself out on 
this log, making all sorts of faces, and cutting many 
wild antics to attract the attention of the multitude. 
Evidently, he felt himself the hero of the disgraceful 
scene. As the baptisms proceeded, he increased in bold- 
ness, and inched himself out to the extreme end of the 
log, where he was almost near enough to Dooley to 
touch him, as he stood in the w r ater. At length, the old 
log broke entirely from the drift, and man and log fell, 
with a heavy plunge, into deep water, and it w T as not 
because he deserved a better fate that he did not stay 
there. For a moment, the silence of death reigned over 
the scene. The man soon rose to the surface, and swam 
to the shore, where his company met him, and extended 
to him the hand of mock welcome into the kingdom. 
He found little enjoyment, however, in this last scene, 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 27 

but took a straight course up the hill until out of sight, 
his friends following with yells of laughter until the 
hill shut out all from our view. In all my life, I have 
seen nothing so disgraceful as this, save once. 

In 1840, I was baptizing in the night the ringleader 
of a very wild party of young men, when his comrades 
gathered in a saw-mill, almost immediately over the spot 
where I was baptizing, and threw stones, chunks of 
wood, and dogs, into the water, at no very comfortable 
distance from us. There can be no apology for such 
conduct, yet, in this case, there was, perhaps, an extenu- 
ating fact. The young men believed that their leader 
was acting the part of a hypocrite, and I have since been 
convinced that they were correct, though these simple- 
tons ought to have known that the hypocrisy of the one 
could not wash out the stains of the many. 

There can be no excuse for willful misbehavior in the 
house of God, or during the administration of any divine 
ordinance. It is according to the experience of my long 
life, that the wildest natures are subdued in witnessing 
the administration of the ordinance of baptism, in which 
the burial and resurrection of our Redeemer are so beau- 
tifully and solemnly set forth. However high the pre- 
tensions of persons may be, and however much of 
refinement they may claim, if they are rude, and misbe- 
have on occasions like this, it is a sure mark of coarse 
nature and ill-breeding, if not of really bad hearts. 
The reader must not conclude that, in those early times, 
it was at all common to witness rude behavior during 
religious exercises. Indeed, I think there was, ordi- 
narily, more profound solemnity in the worshiping 
assembly then than noio. 

In June, 1818, it was arranged that I should take a 
tour through Preble county, with the father of Reuben 
Dooley, who was a very pious and devoted preacher of 
the gospel. I rented out my little farm, with the stock 
and utensils that were upon it, reserving one small horse, 
which was my only dependence for the journey. My 
horse was so poor that I expressed my fears to Brother 



28 AUTOBIOGBAPHY OF 

Dooley that he would give out on the way. Dooley 
earnestly reproved me for my lack of faith. Said he : 
" If the Lord has called you to this work, he will see to 
it, not only that you have strength to preach, but that 
your horse shall have strength to carry you to your ap- 
pointments." And it really seemed so, for my horse 
fattened every day of the journey. The people now 
may ridicule Dooley's faith ; but in those days of relig- 
ious enthusiasm, it was the current belief that, if the Lord 
called any one to the ministry, He would open a door of 
utterance ; would put words into his mouth, which he 
should speak; and, by a special, if not a miraculous, 
interposition of power, would give him his outfit, and 
direct and sustain him on his way. On the eve of start- 
ing, I instituted a search for means of defraying any 
incidental expenses of the way, but, to my mortification, 
I discovered that not a dollar could be found. In one 
corner of my vest-pocket I found a cut nine-pence, 
which, Dooley said, was the King's Bounty, and an 
earnest that I was enlisted in His service. He insisted 
upon it, that this was enough, or the Lord would have 
provided more. 

When the hour came for bidding my family adieu, I 
was completely overwhelmed with grief. My faithful 
Christian wife approached me with tearful eyes, but a 
heavenly and triumphant smile lighted up her face as she 
said : " My dear husband, why are you so desponding, 
and what occasion do you now have to weep? Did you 
not leave me, and enlist to fight the battles of your 
country, with little hope even of earthly reward ? How 
much better is it now, that you go, with a brave heart, 
to fight the battles of King Jesus, with the promise of 
the life that now is and of that which is to come ! " With 
such words of encouragement, I felt my manhood re- 
turn, and, after we had all bowed in prayer and ex- 
changed a few words of parting, we set out upon our 
journey, Elder Moses Dooley being our guide. 

We spent the first night near Falmouth, and, by the 
second night, reached the house of a Brother Nelson, 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 29 

six miles beyond Cincinnati. On our arrival, we learned, 
to our great joy, that the people had assembled there to 
hold a prayer-meeting. This looked like a special pro- 
vidence, and it greatly strengthened us. I was invited 
to speak, but not before I felt an almost irresistible im- 
pression that I ought to say something to that waiting 
people. After a brief discourse, or rather exhortation, 
we sang and prayed, and sang again and again, the con- 
gregation mingling and commingling in the old-fash- 
ioned exercise of shaking hands, which I wish we could 
have restored now, instead of so much stiffness and for- 
mality as we have in our worship. The sermon now 
is the great event of the day's worship, and little else is 
talked about or thought of as the attraction to the 
house of the Lord. The disciples anciently met together 
to break bread, and the chief entertainment, from all we 
can gather, w r as the reading and expounding of the 
Scriptures, singing psalms, and hymns, and spiritual 
songs, and making melody in their hearts — not on any 
instrument, that we know of. 

The following day we had a prosperous journey, and 
arrived, in good time, at the home of the venerable 
Dooley, in Preble county, Ohio. Here I became ac- 
quainted with many of the best preachers in the Stone 
reformation. Among them, I met David Purviance, 
and Levi, his son, and John Adams — men of more than 
ordinary intelligence. The Purviances were originally 
from Cane Ridge, Bourbon county, Kentucky, and were 
with Stone in the great revival which occurred in 1804. 
Levi Purviance made a profession of religion there, and 
afterwards became an educated and able preacher of 
the gospel. 

Having heard of a meeting which was to be held on 
Whitewater, near New Paris, Father Dooley and I at 
once made our arrangements to attend it. On our 
arrival, w^e found a great concourse of people assembled 
in the w r oods. A rough stand had been erected for the 
accommodation of the preachers, and the people were 
arranged on convenient seats around it. Being unwill- 



30 Autobiography of 

ing to enter the stand among the more aged preachers 
that already occupied it, I took a seat in the congrega- 
tion, and was much edified and enthused by a discourse 
from Father Purviance. At length, having been called 
to speak, my diffidence left me, and I began to exhort 
sinners to contemplate Jesus, bleeding and dying for 
them on the cross. I do not remember of ever having 
been more completely transported in thought and feeling 
than on this occasion. I felt that the Spirit of the Lord 
God was upon me. Calling upon sinners to behold the 
Saviour in his suffering, I felt the warming influence of 
the cross in my own heart. I now have no recollection 
of what I said, or how I said it ; I only remember my 
theme, and the transports of my soul in beholding the 
bleeding, dying One. No doubt, the effort was an 
humble one, but my soul was in it; the power of God 
attended it, for scores came to the mourners' bench, cry- 
ing and praying — crying for mercy. 

We had mourners' benches in those days, and they 
were things unauthorized by the Word of God. We 
long since abolished them, and we did right in so doing; 
but I almost fear that we did it in such a way as to 
abolish the mourners too. 

I knew then but a part of the gospel, else scores 
might have been converted. This I knew — how to make 
sinners feel by presenting the facts of the gospel ; but I 
did not know what to tell them to do, for, as yet, I did 
not understand that the gospel had commands to be 
obeyed in order to the enjoyment of the promises. As 
it was, many professed faith in Jesus and were bap- 
tized, while as many more went on mourning. I now 
felt confirmed as to my call to the ministry. Especially 
did I feel strengthened when the pious and venerable 
Adams approached me, and, grasping my hand, said : 
" Go on, my young brother ; I perceive that the Lord is 
with you, and has filled you with His Spirit, and is giv- 
ing you much fruit/' 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 31 



CHAPTER VI. 

Going to William M. Irvin's. — Misdirection. — A strange Providence. 
— Robert Long. — Development of God's purpose. — A great meeting 
in the woods. — He sees the hand of God, and determines to move 
with his family. 

From this neighborhood we crossed over into Indi- 
ana, and spent three weeks in the region of the Walnut 
Level. We found many friends scattered through this 
region ; had many good meetings, and some fruitful sea- 
sons. Upon returning to Father Dooley's, it was deter- 
mined that Thomas Dooley, a brother of Reuben, though 
not so able a preacher, should accompany me back home, 
taking in, on our way, the neighborhood to which my 
brother-in-law, William M. Irvin, had recently moved. 
I had never been there, but knew that it was near where 
Greene and Clinton counties cornered. The first night 
after we started found us near Dayton, at the house of 
Xathan Worley, a venerable and able Christian preacher. 
On the following day we got to Xenia by noon, fed our 
horses, and inquired for the Irvin settlement. No one 
could give us any definite information, but all agreed 
that our nearest and best way must be through the 
county-seat of Clinton, which was, and now is, Wilming- 
ton. When we arrived near Wilmington, we learned that 
we were as far from Irvin's as we had been at Xenia, 
having traveled eighteen miles out of our way. Here 
began to open up a strange providence, which was years 
in developing, but which impressed me then with the 
fact that the Lord had a hand in leading us out of the 
way, and directing our steps into fruitful paths, which 
we were about to pass by. Though a half century has 
passed since then, I am, to-day, as firmly convinced that 
the Lord was leading us out of our way for purposes of 
His own glory, as I can be of any fact of which I am 
not absolutely assured. 



32 Autobiography of 

When within two miles of Wilmington, we stopped at 
a house to inquire our way, and were informed that we 
were then as near Irvin's as we would be when in Wil- 
mington. Having been kindly invited to alight and 
stay all night, we concluded to proceed no further until 
morning. Here I met the first Quaker I had ever 
seen. At bed-time, w T e made preparations for wor- 
ship before retiring, as was our custom; but w T e were 
politely informed by our host that he did his own pray- 
ing, and we might do ours. All this he said with per- 
fect civility, showing that he was in favor of praying, 
but desired to do his praying according to his own 
faith. We were up betimes in the morning, and, 
having received directions, started on our way before 
breakfast. Our Quaker friend, instead of sending us by 
the way of Douglass's Prairie, which was a straight 
road to Irvin's, sent us, by a path, across to the Wash- 
ington road, three miles northeast of Wilmington. Here 
we called at the house of a very intelligent gentleman, 
James Sherman, who informed us that, though we had 
been sent out of our way, he would direct us to one of 
his neighbors who knew all about the place to which we 
were journeying, and the people after whom we were 
inquiring. Having followed the directions, we soon 
found our man, Robert Long, plowing in his field. As 
soon as we got near enough, I, being chief speaker, pro- 
pounded the necessary questions concerning the place 
and people we were seeking. But, without answering my 
questions, he told us to go to the house, have our horses 
fed, and he would tell us all that we wished to know. 
Said I : "If the Lord has any work for us to do in this 
country, we are His servants, and are on His business. " 
Long wept for joy, and, after brushing the great tears 
from his eyes, said: "Thank God! I have been pray- 
ing for preachers, and the Lord has at last sent them. 
Go to the house, and I will meet you there." And so he 
did. Having introduced ourselves to him in the field, 
he now introduced us to his good Christian wife, Jane, 
after which we knelt down and prayed. And now the 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 33 

mystery of our having been misled, I concluded, was 
beginning to be revealed. After prayer and mutual 
congratulations, we were invited to breakfast. Nov/ 
Brother Long informed us that he had visited my 
brother-in-law, and was well pleased with him ; but, said 
he, "He is not preaching much." He further stated 
that he, himself, had moved from Stillwater, where 
there was a small congregation of Christians, but, since 
his settlement here, he and his family had been without 
any religious associations. After breakfast, he would 
not allow us to depart without first exacting a promise 
from us that we would preach for him on our return. 
Accordingly, we gave him an appointment, and pro- 
ceeded on our journey, musing by the way and talking 
of the strange providence of God. 

We found the way to Irvin's without further difficulty. 
All were glad to meet us once more. We were sorry to 
learn that religion was at a very low ebb in this part of 
the country. The cumbering cares incident to making 
a settlement in a new country had so engrossed the mind 
of Brother Irvin, that he had, in a great measure, neg- 
lected to exercise his gift, and had, consequently, accom- 
plished but little. Dooley and I were full of fire and 
zeal, though quite deficient in knowledge. We knew 
enough, however, to tell " the story of the cross " in a 
simple manner, and were not slow in pressing the claims 
of Jesus upon all we met. Irvin soon became equally 
enthusiastic, and we held several happy meetings to- 
gether in his neighborhood. One of these meetings w T e 
held at Cheney's school-house, in the corner of Greene 
county. The house, I suppose, has long since rotted 
down, as the meeting alluded to was held there fifty years 
ago, and more; and I doubt not that many ransomed 
souls have gone from the little band that once met at 
Cheney's school-house to sing the praises of God in that 
house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Ir- 
vin here renewed his vows, and covenanted w T ith God and 
with his brethren, to devote himself unreservedly to 
the ministry. He also determined to accompany us 

2* 



34 Autobiography of 

back to Kentucky. After we had accomplished the ob- 
ject of our visit here, we all started to fill the appoint- 
ment we had left with Brother Long. We arrived at the 
place of meeting before the hour, but not before the peo- 
ple had assembled. The news had gone forth that two 
strangers were going to preach in the neighborhood, and 
the whole region round about had gathered to hear; 
some out of curiosity, but others in deep earnest. The 
speaking, singing, praying and exhorting continued for 
hours ; indeed, the people were so worked upon that 
many of them were unwilling to leave the place. Here 
the providence of missing our way became still more 
clear. I could not now be mistaken that the Lord had 
a great work for me to do in this very region. I, there- 
fore, resolved in my mind, before I left this ground, that 
I would go home, dispose of the little property I had 
there, and then return to this very plac#to work as long 
as the Lord should bless my labors. I believed that, in 
doing so, I was following the leadings of Providence, 
and the sequel has satisfied me beyond a doubt of the 
correctness of my conclusion. We did not continue our 
meeting long enough to forma correct judgment of what 
had been accomplished ; but we were convinced that the 
Lord had many people in this country. After we had 
closed our meeting many still remained upon the ground ; 
some were weeping, others rejoicing and praising God, 
all seemed loath to leave the place. Before leaving, we 
stated publicly that we felt that the Lord had called us 
to this new field, and that we had resolved to hurry 
home, wind up our affairs in Kentucky, and return 
without delay to the work in this neighborhood. 

Now, we started for home ; crossed the Ohio at Man- 
chester, and passed into Lewis county, and across to 
Cajbin Creek, where my brother-in-law, William Mitch- 
ell, lived. Here we had a pleasant meeting; but, being 
anxious to carry out my purposes before expressed, I 
hurried on to my home in Bourbon county. I now re- 
counted to my wife at length the events of the tour ; 
how my cut nine-pence had been sufficient for the ex- 



Elder Samuel Sogers. 35 

penses of the way; how my horse had fattened from the 
day I had started from home — all as Brother Dooley 
had predicted; how I had been confirmed as to my call, 
both by the abundant fruit of my labors, and the opin- 
ions of several experienced brethren. I also related 
how, by the ignorance of the people iu Xenia of whom 
I inquired, I had been sent a half day's journey out of 
my way ; and how the misdirection of the Quaker 
brought me to the house of Robert Long, who had been 
anxiously waiting and praying for preachers; and how 
this, again, opened up before me a field all ripe for the 
sickle. I told her that I had made up my mind to re- 
turn to Ohio, and enter at once upon the work that the 
Lord had pointed out to me by so remarkable a provi- 
dence. My wife listened with profound attention to the 
detailed account of my journey, and the providence at- 
tending it, and at once expressed herself as agreeing 
with me in my conclusion, that the Lord had really 
called me, and was directing my course. She said she 
was willing to go with me to my new field of labor — 
counting all things but loss for Christ. 



36 Autobiography of 



CHAPTER VH. 

Removes to Clinton county, 0.— Birth of John I. Rogers in 1819. — 
Organization of the congregation now called Antioch.— His ordi- 
nation. — Sister Worley assists. — Return home. — Forty persons 
immersed at the first meeting. — The Macedonian cry. — Night bap- 
tisms. — Harvey's dream. — His conversion. — Mrs. Hodson's dream 
and baptism. 

Preparations having been speedily made, we were soon 
upon our journey, and by the first of September we ar- 
rived at Robert Long's, in Clinton county, Ohio. There 
being no vacant house in the neighborhood for rent, it 
became necessary for me at once to set about building a 
cabin. Having obtained some assistance, in a very few 
weeks we were established in our new house, which was 
a common log cabin, chinked and daubed with common 
clay. The roof was made of large clapboards, bound 
together by long weight-poles. The floor was made of 
puncheons; the jambs and back-wall were constructed 
of stiff mortar, and of nearly the same material was the 
chimney made. Chimneys of this kind, in those days, 
were called cat-and-clay chimneys. Rough as was our 
new house, it afforded comfortable shelter for the winter. 
We felt that w r e had no right to complain of our humble 
dwelling, for many of the old prophets had not one half 
as good as ours, and our Redeemer had none at all. On 
the sixth day of January, 1819, John I. Rogers made 
his advent into the world in this very cabin. If there 
is anything in humble beginnings, then my son John I. 
has somewhat of which to boast. 

I now gathered together a little band of Christians at 
Hester's school-house, on Todd's Fork, a small tributary 
of the Little Miami, and we were constituted upon the 
Bible as the only rule of faith and practice. Work went 
on triumphantly ; members were added to the church al- 
most daily. Many demanded baptism; but, not yet hav- 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 37 

ing been ordained, I did not feel at liberty to baptize. It 
must be borne in mind that we did not then make bap- 
tism an absolute condition to church membership. In 
order to my ordination, the brethren urged me to visit 
some of our old preachers in Preble county; which I 
did, bearing with me letters of commendation from my 
brethren at home. 

After a journey of sixty miles, I found Brother David 
Purviance, and showed him my letters, which fully ex- 
plained the object of my mission. He informed me that 
a Conference of preachers had been organized to take 
charge of all these matters, but they were not to meet 
again for nearly six months. I told Brother Purviance 
that I did not desire to create any disturbance, or in 
anything to be insubordinate, but that I seriously ques- 
tioned the right of the Conference to assume any such 
authority; that I did not believe that they, or any one 
else, could impart any spiritual gift by the imposition of 
hands; that I thought any prudent ministers of the gos- 
pel, sitting on my case, could decide as to my call, and, 
by the imposition of their hands, could delegate to me 
the authority to baptize. Finding, at length, that the 
object of my mission had failed with Purviange, I urged 
him to send an ordained preacher with me, who could 
baptize the people who were impatiently waiting my re- 
turn. To this proposition he made no objection, and it 
was arranged that Reuben Dooley should accompany me 
home. Dooley and I were soon on the way, but, mean- 
while, we had an appointment to fill at the house of old 
Brother Worley. On arriving there, Dooley took Father 
Worley aside and told him the object of my mission to 
Purviance, and of my disappointment. Worley replied 
that, if he could hear me preach, he believed that he 
could determine whether the Lord had really called me. 
So they determined, without my knowledge, to put me 
up that night to preach my trial sermon. It was well 
that I knew nothing of the arrangement, for it would 
have embarrassed me. As it was, I felt quite at liberty, 
and acquitted myself to my own satisfaction, and, as I 



38 Autobiography of 

thought, to the satisfaction of my hearers. There was 
much feeling manifested in the audience, and Father 
Worley seemed especially pleased. 

After the meeting was over, Brother Worley asked me 
privately if I would object to receive ordination at the 
hands of himself and Dooley. I answered, " Certainly 
not." So, then and there, they proceeded to ordain me 
by prayer and the laying on of hands. Old Sister Wor- 
ley also laid her hands on me, and I have always be- 
lieved that I received as much spiritual oil from her 
hands as from the hands of the others. 

Early next morning we started for our home in Clin- 
ton, and by nightfall we were safely housed in our new 
log cabin. During the next day, news of our arrival 
spread like fire in stubble ; so that, by the evening meet- 
ing-hour, an immense concourse of people had assem- 
bled together. After preaching, we baptized forty per- 
sons in the waters of Todd's Fork. Then I did my first 
baptizing ; since that time I have baptized over seven 
thousand persons. Reuben Dooley returned immediately 
home ; but his father, who accompanied us from Preble 
county, remained and assisted me no little in carrying 
on the great work then on hand. Meanwhile, I found 
it to be more convenient for us to make some changes in 
our location. We, therefore, gave up our new cabin, and 
moved to a vacant one on Robert Long's farm, where we 
remained but a short time, as the center of our most im- 
portant work seemed to have drifted some miles to the 
southeast of us, in the neighborhood of Jonah Vander- 
vort, on a branch of Cowan's Creek. In the course of 
the season, the neighbors and brethren built me a house 
in this community, where I lived and labored for twenty- 
seven years, save three, which I spent in Indiana, of 
winch I shall hereafter speak. 

There now seemed to be no bounds to the field of my 
labor. The Macedonian cry came up from every quarter. 
I was sent for from Highland county, where I went, and 
preached in the region of Snow Hill, and Old Morgan- 
town, and down the East Fork, with marked success. I 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 39 

preached both day and night; and baptized, more or 
less, almost every day, and sometimes had baptisms at 
night. These night baptisms were often very impressive. 
The brethren prepared a number of torches for these 
occasions, which abundantly lighted up the way as we 
went on to the water, singing some animating song, with 
a chorus like the following : 

11 Jesus, my all, to heaven is gone, 

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 
He whom I fix my hopes upon, 

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 
His track I see, and I '11 pursue, 

Hallelujah ! 
The narrow way till him I view, 

Hallelujah! 
Then we'll go on; Glory, hallelujah! 
We '11 go on and serve the Lord, 

Glory, hallelujah!" 

It was not unfrequently the case that persons would 
become convicted at the water, and demand baptism at 
our hands. I have known ladies to demand baptism at 
the water ; and I have baptized them while they were in 
their best Sunday suits. 

About this time occurred a curious circumstance, which 
I shall relate, and concerning which the reader may draw 
his own conclusions. Samuel Harvey, who had been 
reared a Quaker, had quite recently moved with his 
family from the neighborhood of Hillsboro, and settled 
in our vicinity. His wife, sometime previously, had 
heard one of our preachers, and desired to join the 
church, but her husband bitterly opposed her. One of 
my meeting-places was not far from their house, and the 
time for preaching there was near at hand. Mrs. Harvey 
was anxious to attend the meeting, but, knowing the bit- 
terness of her husband's feelings, she did not venture to 
express her wishes to him. On the Saturday night 
before the meeting, Harvey had a dream, and, on Sunday 
morning, he astonished his wife by asking her if she did 
not wish to go to the meeting that day. This was 



40 Autobiography of 

something new under the sun to her, and she was quite 
perplexed, because she could not understand its mean- 
ing. Seeing that he was in earnest, however, she an- 
swered in the affirmative. Harvey saw that she was 
surprised, and at once related his dream. He said that 
he saw in his dream a man arise in the stand, and quote 
certain words of Scripture, which made such an im- 
pression on his mind that he had resolved to go and see 
if I was the man. He further said that he had such a 
distinct recollection of the features of the man, that he 
could point him out in any assembly, could he see him. 
As they approached the stand when they came to the 
meeting, I arose and quoted my text. Harvey stopped, 
and, turning to his wife, said : " Sarah, that is the man I 
saw last night, and that is the very Scripture he quoted." 
He sat at a distance from the stand, but his wife drew 
near, and took a seat in the midst of the congregation. 
At the close of my discourse I called for mourners, as 
was our custom, and Harvey attempted to fly; but, being 
about to fall, he turned about, approached the stand, 
confessed his sinfulness, and told his dream to the whole 
congregation. A deep interest pervaded the audience, 
and much feeling was manifested all around. Harvey's 
conversion and experience increased the solemnity of the 
occasion, and deepened the impressions already made. 
Many penitents came forward crying for mercy, and 
many professed to obtain the hope of deliverance. Al- 
together, it was a meeting long to be remembered for 
good. 

Soon after this, a still more remarkable circumstance 
occurred in this neighborhood. Upon the occasion re- 
ferred to, a large assembly had gathered at the water's 
edge, and, after an appropriate prayer, I was proceeding 
to make some remarks upon the subject and design of 
baptism, as was my custom, when an intelligent-looking 
lady came from the opposite side of the stream, and, 
upon approaching me, she demanded baptism at my 
hands. This looked like the conduct of one crazy, but 
it was not so. She related to the assembly her experi- 



Eldee Samuel Rogers. 41 

ence in about the following words : She said that, while 
living in North Carolina, and preaching among the 
Quakers — the Quakers allow the women to preach — 
she dreamed that, while standing upon the shore of a 
strange river, she saw a multitude upon the opposite 
bank, and some among them preparing for baptism. She 
saw a certain man approach the bank of the stream, and 
offer prayer, and then heard him speak upon the subject 
and design of baptism. This dream she had related to 
her husband and friends before she left North Carolina. 
Without ever having seen me before — she and her hus- 
band being new-comers in the neighborhood — and hav- 
ing heard of this appointment for baptism, she deter- 
mined to attend, more out of curiosity than anything 
else. After I had offered prayer, and began to speak, 
she said to her husband : " That is the very man I saw 
in my dream in North Carolina ; " and, being over- 
whelmed completely, she came directly across the stream, 
and demanded baptism, as before stated.* 

All of these remarkable circumstances I interpreted as 
confirmatory of my call to the ministry. And, when 
Brother Campbell taught me that I must not look 
for the signs of an Apostle, nor rely upon vague im- 
pressions, or dreams, or visions, I was sorely tried. I 
must not be understood as intimating that Brother 
Campbell convinced me that I was not called of God to 
preach the gospel, or that he attempted to do so ; but 
that he taught me to look to God's word for my call, 
instead of those dreams, and visions, and vague impres- 
sions upon which I so much relied for the evidence of 
my call. But more of this in another place. 

In the beginning of our labors in Clinton county, we 
had arranged to have annual camp-meetings — to begin 
always on the Friday before the fourth Lord's day in 



*A few days since, I visited the son of Mrs. Hodson, who is now living near 
Antioch, Clinton county, Ohio. He informed me that, though he was now in his 
eightieth year, he had a vivid recollection of hearing his mother relate her dream 
before they moved to Ohio ; that he was present and saw her cross the stream- 
Cowan's Creek — and witnessed the baptism. He went on to say tbat he had often 
heard Samuel Harvey tell his experience, and how he was converted by that 
strange dream. Both Harvey and Hodson were members of Antioch Church. 

J. I. R. 



42 Autobiography of 

August, and to continue, ordinarily, about a week. 
These meetings we looked forward to as great occasions. 
Our preachers were in the habit of coming hundreds of 
miles to attend them. And the people, good, bad and 
indifferent, for many miles around, made their arrange- 
ments to attend ; until, finally, the multitude of people 
completely broke down the meetings, the camp-ground 
having become a place of fun and mischief for every 
abominable character in the land. Instead of the camp- 
meetings, annual meetings were appointed in their stead, 
which proved very profitable, and which, I believe, 
continue to this day in that region. 



Elder Samuel Rogees. 43 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Building a house of worship.— He names it Antioch. — A few do the 
work.— Grateful tribute to the people, and especially to his wife. 

As yet. we had not built us a house of worship ; but, in 
suitable weather, had seats prepared in the woods, under 
the shade, and a stand erected for the preachers. In in- 
clement weather w T e preached in private houses in the 
country, and in public buildings in the towns. Though 
the country w^as yet new, and we were all comparatively 
poor, we now felt that it was our duty to build us a 
house of worship in a central location, so that, during 
bad weather, we could have room sufficient to accommo- 
date the people. The history of the building of this 
house, I suppose, has been repeated in a thousand other 
cases. A few men had to bear the burden at the begin- 
ning, middle and end of the work. He who waits in an 
enterprise like this until every man is ready to bear his 
part, waits in vain, and will die having accomplished 
nothing. 

In the building of our house, three or four men did 
the most of the work ; and of that, Jonah Vandervort 
and sons did much the largest share. It was not long 
until the house was ready for use, and it furnished 
ample room for the large audiences that were ready to 
assemble there. This was the first building of the kind 
in that part of the country. It was certainly the first 
house of worship built in that country for the people 
who wore the name Christian. The honor of naming 
the house w T as conferred upon me by the brethren ; so I 
called it Antioch, after the place where the disciples 
were first called Christians. 

It has been more than fifty years since the organiza- 
tion of that church, and fifty years since the erection of 
Antioch meeting-house; and, as far as I know, the 
church has prospered continuously up to the present 



44 Autobiography of 

time. I am safe in saying that thousands have been 
added to that church in the last half century. For many 
years we had ingatherings at almost every meeting, and 
it was not unusual at the annual meetings to have forty 
or fifty additions. Indeed, I think there were added 
there in one day, at a certain annual meeting, fifty per- 
sons. This, I think, was in the year 1837, when I was 
preaching in Indiana. Hundreds have gone up to God 
from that place; many more have emigrated West, and 
carried the light with them that has led other multitudes 
to God ; others have gone back into the world : yet there 
is a large congregation of zealous disciples, holding forth 
the word of life, which will be a source of rejoicing to 
me and others in the day of Christ, seeing that we have 
not run in vain, neither labored in vain. It will not be 
long before I shall meet some of those old brethren and 
sisters, whom I learned to love in the days of our early 
struggles in Clinton county. 

But for the kind attentions of Jonah Vandervort and 
his Christian wife, Jane, I could never have accomplished 
the half that I did. They took a constant oversight of 
my family in my absence; inquired after their welfare; 
supplied their wants out of their own storehouse ; sent 
some one of their family to wait upon them in sickness : 
in a word, they withheld nothing that could contribute 
to the support and comfort of my family. Others were 
also kind to me ; among whom were the Bashores, 
Lynns, and Unions, early converts to Christ in that 
region. The kindness of this people can be more 
fully appreciated when it is remembered that, about 
twice a year, I made tours through Indiana, Illinois, and 
sometimes to Missouri, which kept me absent from one 
to three months at a time. 

One person, however, whom I have not yet mentioned, 
did more than all the rest to support me in my struggles 
in this holy warfare. She has gone a little in advance 
of me to the goodly land, and has no need now of my 
praise. When she found me in the least desponding, 
she had always words of encouragement to offer. I do 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 45 

not now remember to have heard, in all my life, an un- 
pleasant or discouraging word from her lips. No matter 
how long I might have been absent, or how much I had 
overstayed my time, she had no word of reproach at our 
meeting, but always a smile and a cordial welcome. My 
wife was a good manager, and very industrious. She 
could spin and weave the most difficult fabrics ; was 
quite handy with scissors and needle; could cut and make 
whole suits of gentlemen's and ladies' apparel ; and by 
this means she supported a large family, with the assist- 
ance our Christian neighbors gave us. She had the rare 
faculty of governing the boys. They loved her tenderly, 
and feared to disregard her wishes. She kept them 
busy, either at the out-door task, or at their books. Ten 
children she reared to maturity — six daughters and four 
sons. Eight of the ten children are living yet. The 
youngest son fell at the head of his company in a fatal 
charge, in Augusta, Ky., during the late fratricidal war. 
Our oldest daughter, wife of Elder James Yandervort, 
died in her fifty-sixth year, faithful to Christ. Of all my 
children, she was the most intelligent in the Scriptures. 

I have two sons and one grandson who are preachers, 
and, if I had as many sons as Ahab, I should want them 
all to be preachers. My friends, after hearing me re- 
count my own struggles and hardships, express no little 
surprise at this. I answer them that we are not here for 
purposes of pleasure, but to be doers of good. A real 
man is never so happy as when devoting himself to the 
interests of mankind. No man is worthy the name who 
wishes to live to himself, and die to himself. Suppose a 
man should serve the Lord in poverty and distress all 
his life, and die like Lazarus; is that not far better than 
to amass treasures, and fare sumptuously every day, and 
die like Dives? I say to my sons: Go on; never mind 
hardships, never mind adversity ; these can not keep 
you out of heaven. Be afraid of nothing that will not 
keep you away from God. Let a man look to the mark, 
and run for the prize, no matter how difficult the way; 
and it will be all right with him at the end of the race. 



46 Autobiography of 



CHAPTER IX. 

Call from Missouri.— He and James Hughes start together. — They 
camp out. — Cook their own meals on the way. — How they made 
a fire. — He goes alone to Howard county. — Wild beasts. — Glori- 
ous sunrisi ng. — A burning prairie. — Awful reflections. — The con- 
trast. — Finds Thomas McBride, who was overcome with good news. 
— Return. — Stayed all night with a colored man. — Was happy. 
— After severe trials and dangers arrived at home in safety, hav- 
ing been three months out. 

Not long after I settled in Ohio, a number moved from 
Bourbon county, Ky., and settled on Ramsey's Creek, in 
Pike county, Mo. Their Macedonian cry had come to the 
ears of Brother James Hughes and myself, and we deter- 
mined to go to their assistance. We made ready for the 
journey and set out, prepared to take soldiers' fare on 
the route, as most of the country through which we had 
to pass was yet a wilderness. We were both fond of 
tea; so we carried a coffee-pot, tin cups, and a tea-can- 
ister along with us. At each settlement through which 
we passed, we would procure provisions enough to last 
us to the next one. The settlements in Indiana and 
Illinois were so far apart that we were compelled to 
camp out most of the way. I had learned to cook in the 
army, and now made it my business to prepare the meal, 
while Brother Hughes unsaddled our horses and hobbled 
them out for the night. I generally had a tin-cupful of 
strong tea for each of us, and bread and meat sufficient 
to satisfy the demands of nature; but this was all. I 
suppose the young people of this day can hardly conjec- 
ture how we obtained fire to cook with, for we had no 
lucifer matches then, nor for years afterwards. We car- 
ried no fire with us, and found none in the forest, where 
we were often compelled to camp at night. Instead of 
matches, we had what answered our purpose equally 
well. We had flint and steel, and a spongy substance 



Elder Samuel Rogees. 47 

found in decaying trees, especially in the ash and hickory, 
called spunk. When this is perfectly dry, and of good 
quality, it ignites from a single spark struck from the 
steel by the sharp flint, and may soon be blown into a 
flame. We were always supplied with this means of 
making a fire. After enjoying our repast, we would 
often talk of our blessed Saviour, in His self-denying 
life, who traversed the land of Palestine on foot, without 
a place to lay His head, while we, His unworthy ser- 
vants, had good horses to carry us on our journey, being 
far better provided than was He. With such reflections 
we silenced all complaints. 

We made the forks of White River in our route, where 
w r e met a few disciples, and had a pleasant meeting. 
From this place we went to what was known as the 
Christian Settlement in Allison's Prairie, seven miles 
west of Vincennes. Here w r e held our last meeting 
until we reached Ramsey's Creek, in Missouri. Nothing 
occurred of special interest until we completed our con- 
templated journey. At Ramsey's Creek w r e protracted 
our meeting for several days, and reaped a bountiful 
harvest of souls. We were quite satisfied with the 
result of our meeting, notwithstanding w r e did not receive 
as much money from first to last as we had spent. This 
was no new thing with us, but we rejoiced that we were 
counted worthy to suffer and sacrifice for Jesus' name. 
We were seeking souls, and' not fortunes; we were en- 
deavoring to consult the interest of the Redeemer's 
kingdom, and not our own interest. After the meeting 
at Ramsey's Creek was over, Brother Hughes concluded 
to return home, but I determined to go on to Howard 
county. Before we parted we made arrangements to 
make even a larger circuit the next spring, visiting all 
of the places we had visited on this route and many 
more. 

Before I started for Howard county, I ascertained 
that, to go by way of the settlements would take three 
or four days to reach the point of my destination ; but 
to go through the prairies, I could reach it in two days. 



48 Autobiography of 

Being a good woodsman, and understanding courses 
almost as well as an Indian, I chose the latter route. 
There was one danger attending the traveler at this sea- 
son of the year. The prairie grass was dry, and during 
the autumn the winds were generally blowing briskly ; 
so that the fire in the tall grass often traveled almost as 
fast as a horse can run, endangering the life of the trav- 
eler who should be so unfortunate as to meet a burn- 
ing. By the aid of a pocket compass, which I always 
carried with me in those days, I made the first day's 
journey without much difficulty, and was fortunate in 
finding, about sundown, a hunter's camp, in a beautiful 
grove, convenient to water. Here I determined to stay 
for the night. I unsaddled my good horse, Paddy, hob- 
bled him, and turned him out to make his supper on the 
fine grass that was still green in the grove. With my 
flint and steel I soon kindled a fire; then I prepared 
my supper, after the eating of which I w T as ready for 
bed. My saddle-bags were my pillow ; I slept on my 
saddle-blanket, and covered myself with the blanket I 
rode upon. I slept tolerably well until midnight, when 
I was aroused by the howling of a pack of wolves in 
the vicinity of the camp. I arose and renewed my fire, 
knowing that this would keep them at a respectful dis- 
tance, and again I retired to rest. At break of day I 
was up, and, soon having my tea ready, I ate a hearty 
breakfast; unspanceled Paddy, saddled him, and was off. 
I entered a vast prairie just as the sun was rising. The 
scene overwhelmed me. I stopped my horse to gaze 
with awe and delight upon it. The god of day seemed to 
come up out of the very ground, and to be struggling to 
free himself from the tangled meshes of grass. From 
this grand scene, I saw by faith one far more sublime: 
when the King of Eternal Day — not the center of 
the physical system, but the center of the spiritual 
universe — arose from Joseph's tomb. I gazed, and won- 
dered, and adored, while my poor soul was filled with 
unutterable delight. Looking back through the clouds 
of fifty years, the scene of that morning rises vividly to 



Eldek Samuel Rogers. 49 

view, and I seem to catch again the inspiration of that 
hour. The background of the past lonely night, with 
devouring wolves howling round my defenseless camp, 
was well calculated to bring out this picture in full re- 
lief. I think that solitude brings us near to God and 
contributes to our inspiration. Was it not so with John 
in Patmos? Since the experience of that morning, I can 
hardly blame the heathen, who are without the Bible 
and a knowledge of God, for worshiping^ the sun. 

After the raptures of the scene had subsided, I turned 
my face westward, and Paddy and I, both having been 
refreshed by the night's rest, were ready for a good day's 
journey. A fresh breeze sprang up, and swayed the tall 
grass so that, at a distance, it presented the appearance 
of a great sea, the waves gently rolling before the breeze. 
In the course of the morning I saw elk, deer, w T olves, 
and one or two bears. I was, indeed, in a solitary 
way — almost a day's journey from an| r settlement, I 
suppose. 

About two o'clock in the afternoon, I was aroused from 
my meditations by a dense cloud of smoke, which ap- 
peared to be but a few miles ahead of me, in the direc- 
tion of my journey. I was not much alarmed, for I 
understood my business, and was prepared for it. I at 
once dismounted, and, with my flint and steel, I lighted a 
wisp of grass, and fired the prairie. I then kept to the 
windward until a large plat of ground was burned over, 
into which I dashed and was safe. By this time the 
crackling roar of the burning prairie all around me was 
extremely and fearfully grand. But for the precaution 
I had taken, Paddy and I would have been devoured in 
the flames. The Western traveler now has no idea of 
what a prairie was fifty years ago. In many places then 
the grass was five or six feet high, and quite thick upon 
the ground. Under a brisk wind the recumbent flames 
seemed to fire acres at a time. There was, however, but 
little danger to the traveler who understood how to pro- 
vide against the coming flames. His safety in such a case 
was to fire the grass by him, and keep well to the w T ind- 

3 



50 Autobiography of 

ward of it, for the wind that drives the flame so fiercely 
in one direction, subdues the fire on the other side, so 
that it can be passed without danger. 

I now began to contrast the scene of the afternoon 
with that of the morning. In the morning the sun arose 
without a cloud to obscure its brightness. Now the 
heavy cloud of smoke that covered the heavens from 
horizon to horizon almost entirely obliterated the sun. 
The flames went rolling onward like a flood of fire, and 
the sun looked down upon the scene like an eye of 
vengeance. In the midst of the devouring elements, 
however, I was safe, and my spirit tranquil. How sweet 
to be conscious of safety in the sight of danger ! The 
scene of the morning reminded me of the resurrection 
of the Sun of Righteousness, with healing in His beams. 
The scene of the evening reminded me of the coming of 
the Son of Man to judgment, when the world shall be 
on fire, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. 
O, where then shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 
The flames were now far in the rear, and, the smoke 
having cleared away, Paddy and I resumed our journey. 
Thankful, indeed, was I for the early experience that 
taught me how to provide against such apprSaching 
danger. Had I attempted to save myself by flight, I 
should have been, most likely, devoured by the flames. 
But I found safety, not in flying like a coward, but in 
facing and fighting against the danger. God has pro- 
vided us against all harm, if we will put on the whole 
armor, and stand like men. Men who attempt to fly 
from adversity are frequently overwhelmed by it. It is 
'generally the safe plan to stand and struggle against 
difficulties until they are overcome. 

After traveling over the burnt prairie for a few hours, 
I came to timber, and, from the direction of the streams, 
I knew that I was on the waters of the Missouri. I was 
not long in finding a cabin, where I inquired after 
Thomas McBridc. The inmates knew him, and gave 
me directions that soon led me to his cabin. He was at 
home, and was glad to see me. Thomas McBride was a 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 51 

plain, uneducated man, but he had fine sense and a 
sound judgment. He was the first Christian preacher 
who had crossed the Mississippi to preach the Bible 
alone, as the only basis of Christian union. He was a 
poor man, and led an humble life, but he was rich in 
faith, and had been battling alone for years against error 
and superstition. His home was now in the upper end 
of Howard county. He had recently moved to this 
place, but he made me welcome and comfortable in his 
log cabin. I related to him the success of the meeting 
at Ramsey's Creek, at which he seemed overjoyed. For a 
long time he had been in Missouri, and he had almost 
despaired of ever receiving any assistance from any 
source. When I informed him that Hughes and I had 
determined to make a lengthy tour through this country 
the coming spring, his feelings completely overcame him. 
We talked of old times and new until a late hour, when 
we had worship and retired to rest for the night. I was 
soon asleep, and dreaming of the dreadful fire I had es- 
caped the previous day. This aroused me from my slum- 
bers, and, while musing in my bed, I became a little 
poetical in my feelings, and composed several stanzas, 
which I am not able to recall, except the following lines: 

This night I lay in deep reflection, 

A dreadful scene was now unfurled — 
The awful day of vast destruction 

That's lowering o'er a guilty world. 
By faith I viewed the Judge descending, 

In flaming grandeur, down the skies ; 
And saints and angels were attending, 

And began the Grand Assize. 

I remember that I endeavored to describe the con- 
dition of the various classes of men in their relations to 
one another and to God — kings and subjects, parents 
and children, preachers and people — and what they 
must answer for to God in judgment. 

On the following day, arrangements were made for a 
meeting to be held at Brother Cyrus Bradley's house. 



52 Autobiography of 

We had a pleasant season, but, being anxious to see 
other friends and relations before I should return home, 
I left for Salt Creek, in the lower part of Howard 
county, where Brother McBride had labored for some 
time, and had gathered together a small band of disci- 
ples. Here I had a happy meeting, and formed many 
pleasant acquaintances, among whom was an old sister 
who, like myself, had, all of her life, been a great tea- 
drinker. She told me that, when she was young, the 
doctors pronounced tea a slow poison, and that she had 
lived to prove it, for she was about eighty years old and 
in tolerably good health yet, though she had used tea 
three times a day during most of the time. 

From this place I went to Franklin county, where 
Brother McBride had lived and had made his mark. I 
found many here w 7 ho loved the Bible cause, but they 
had no leader. I preached for them some days, and the 
people heard with gladness. We had a time of great 
rejoicing, for the Lord crowned our labors with abund- 
ant success. I had two sisters living in this county — 
Mrs. Patton and Mrs. Buckner. After visiting them, I 
took the most direct w T ay home, for winter was setting 
in, and I had nearly five hundred miles to travel. I 
went by the way of Vincennes, and struck the Ohio at 
Madison. It had been raining on me most of the way, 
but it now suddenly blew T up from the North and be- 
came quite cold. I crossed a small river about dark, 
near Madison, called Indian Kentuck. I learned of the 
ferryman that my w T ay led up a sjnall stream, and that 
the nearest house was about five miles distant. I sup- 
pose I could have found lodging with the ferryman, but, 
being anxious to get home, I determined to pass on to 
the five-mile house. I found the way very rough, and, 
I think, in going the four miles, I crossed this stream, 
which I w r as following, at least a dozen times. I now 
came to what proved to be the last ford I had to cross 
until I arrived at camp. There was a thin ice upon the 
water, and my horse seemed unwilling to cross. I 
struck him with my whip, and he plunged into the 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 53 

water, which covered horse, saddle and all ; but Paddy, 
being an excellent swimmer, landed me safe on the 
shore ; but I was completely drenched up to my waist. 
I had gone but a short distance when I discovered 
that my clothing was frozen stiff upon me. I now 
traveled at a rapid gait until I came to the house 
alluded to, and saw through the window a large, blazing 
fire. Never in my life had a fire appeared so inviting. 
I hallooed, and a gentleman came to the fence to learn 
what I wanted. I soon told him my condition, and 
was not slow in making known my wants. " Light," 
said he, " and go in to the fire ; my wife will assist 
you in drying your clothes, while I will attend to your 
horse." 

I was soon by the fire, and the woman of the house 
was very active and handy in waiting upon me. To my 
astonishment, I discovered that she had a black face. 
When the gentleman came in, I saw that he was of the 
same color, but I felt that this was no time for drawing 
nice distinctions. They were kind, their fire was warm, 
their house was comfortable, and I was made welcome. 
The whitest faces could do no better. In the course of 
the conversation, the woman found out that I was a 
preacher, and that I had obtained my first license from 
Barton W. Stone, at Cane Ridge, in Bourbon county. 
" Why," said the woman, " my father-in-law lives there 
now ; and we are all members of that church." Upon 
inquiry, she told me her father-in-law's name was 
Charles Mason. I knew him very well. We now 
seemed almost like kinsfolk. A good, hot supper was 
soon prepared for me, and I enjoyed it very much. We 
then had worship. They then left me for the night, to 
enjoy to myself a warm room, nice, clean bed, and re- 
freshing slumbers. They were up before daylight ; had 
a blazing fire for me to get up by ; had my horse fed, 
and an excellent breakfast prepared, which I ate with a 
relish. I offered to compensate them for their trouble, 
but they would not receive anything. After a morning 
prayer, I thanked them, and went on my way for sweet 



54 Autobiography of 

home. I shall ever remember with gratitude the kind- 
ness of those people, and I hope they may be abun- 
dantly rewarded — here and hereafter. 

The wind was still blowing from the North, and real, 
freezing winter had come. The way was very rough, 
and the weather very bitter ; but I made good time, and 
before night had crossed the river at Rising Sun. The 
next day I crossed again at Cincinnati; and the day fol- 
lowing, as the sun was setting, I arrived safe at my home 
in Clinton, having been gone three months — the longest 
preaching tour I had yet made. I found all well, and 
talked until a late hour, detailing the successes and perils 
of the way. 



Elder Samuel Eogers. 55 



CHAPTER X. 

Wentworth Roberts baptized for remission in the year 1821. — Stone 
on baptism for remission. — David Jamison baptized for remission. 
—George Shideler a like convert.— Dr. B. F. Hall. — Talbert Fan- 
ning. — James E. Matthews. 

Not long after my return home, there came to my 
house a man by the name of Wentworth Roberts, a very 
intelligent gentleman — a school-teacher by occupation 
— who demanded baptism at my hands. From reading 
the Scriptures, he had come to the conclusion that no 
one could claim the remission of sins without baptism. 
I asked him if he believed that the Lord would then 
and there pardon his sins. He replied that he most cer- 
tainly did. Said I, " Then, according to your faith, so 
be it unto you ; " and I baptized him. Though this was 
a new doctrine, it made but little impression on my 
mind; not enough even to set me to investigating the 
subject. After I immersed him, he came up out of the 
w T ater rejoicing; and made a speech at the water's edge, 
in which he quoted Peter (Acts ii. 38): " Eepent, and be 
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ 
for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift 
of the Holy Spirit." The last I heard of him he was 
still faithful. This occurred, I think, in the year 1821. 

After preaching a few weeks in my own neighborhood, 
I visited Kentucky again, especially to arrange with 
Brother Hughes for our contemplated trip to Missouri. 
While there, I attended a meeting at Millersburg, con- 
ducted by Brother Stone. The interest was very great, 
and the audiences very large. Many had professed 
religion, and many more, who were at the mourners' 
bench, refused to be comforted. After laboring with 
the mourners until a late hour of the night, without be- 
ing able to comfort them, Brother Stone arose and thus 
addressed the audience : " Brethren, something must be 



56 Autobiography of 

wrong; we have been laboring with these mourners 
earnestly, and they are deeply penitent; why have they 
not found relief? We all know that God is willing to 
pardon them, and certainly they are anxious to receive 
it. The cause must be that we do not preach as the 
Apostles did. On the day of Pentecost, those who 
6 were pierced to the heart * were promptly told what to 
do for the remission of sins. And i they gladly received 
the word, and were baptized ; and the same day about 
three thousand were added unto them/ " He then quoted 
the commission : " He that believeth and is baptized 
shall be saved." 

When Brother Stone sat down, we were all com- 
pletely confounded ; and, for my part, though I said 
nothing, I thought our dear old brother was beside him- 
self. The speech was a perfect damper upon the meet- 
ing : the people knew not what to make of it. On a few 
other occasions, Brother Stone repeated about the same 
language, with the same effect. At length, he concluded 
that the people were by no means prepared for this doc- 
trine, and gave it up. 

Another case, which occurred before this, is worthy 
of notice. Brother David Jamison, of the neighborhood 
of Cane Ridge, had been seeking pardon for a long time, 
and, failing to get relief, applied to the word of God for 
light upon the subject. He soon became convinced that 
a believing penitent could not claim the promise of par- 
don until he had submitted to baptism. He laid his case 
before Stone, Dooley and others, who held a council in 
regard to it. Upon due deliberation, they decided that 
Jamison was a proper subject of baptism — that he had 
doubtless received pardon, but was not conscious of it. 
They baptized him, and he went on his way rejoicing, 
and was faithful to the day of his death, which occurred 
some years since, near Mayslick, Ky., at the house of his 
faithful son, Benjamin Jamison. 

George Shideler had been praying, and reading, and 
agonizing for a long time, vainly seeking pardon accord- 
ing to the notions of our people in that day. One night, 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 57 

about midnight, he came to the house of Brother Dooley, 
and, waking him, demanded of him baptism. He said 
he had been seeking pardon for a long time when he had 
no promise ; that, from the word of God, he had become 
satisfied that he had no right to look for pardon until 
baptized. Dooley baptized him " the same hour of the 
night " in Seven-mile Creek, above Eaton. 

Elder B. F. Hall, in a sketch of his life in possession 
of my son, John I. Rogers, gives a scrap of history, very 
interesting, and which will not be out of place here : 
" On the 15th of May, A. D. 1825, 1 was, by prayer and 
imposition of hands, ordained by the venerated B. W. 
Stone and others. Brother T. M. Allen, now of Mis- 
souri, was ordained at the same time. The ordination 
took place at Old Union, Fayette county. 

" Early in the summer of that same year, I returned 
and preached through Middle Tennessee and Northern 
Alabama. We held many camp-meetings that fall. It 
was a season of much religious interest. It was no un- 
common thing, at a camp-meeting, to see from ten to 
fifty weeping sinners at the anxious seat, crying out for 
mercy. Being naturally sympathetic, I thought they 
were the most affecting, touching scenes I had ever 
witnessed. At many of those meetings I spent nearly 
the whole night singing, praying for, and trying to in- 
struct weeping mourners how to obtain pardon. I 
would weep with those that wept, and rejoice with those 
that rejoiced. 

"At one of those meetings, in the fall of 1825, an un- 
usually large number were constantly at the anxious 
seat, weeping, and praying, and begging us to pray that 
God would have mercy upon them. Some found relief 
during the meeting ; but the greater number remained 
uncomforted. At the close of the meeting, when about 
to leave for another meeting, a brother proposed 
that we sing a parting hymn, and that the Christians 
first, and then the mourners, who had not found peace, 
should come forward and give the minister the parting 
hand. When the broken-hearted mourners came in a 

3* 



58 Autobiography of 

long line, weeping as if their hearts would break, I 
could sing no longer, but burst forth in a wail of anguish 
of soul. My pent-up grief found vent in a gush of 
tears. On the way to the next meeting, I said to a 
brother preacher : 

" ( There is a wrong somewhere. Surely, we do not 
preach as the Apostles and first evangelists preached/ 

" i Why do you think so V he asked. 

" i Because our preaching does not produce the effect 
which theirs did. We nowhere read of persons who 
were convicted under their preaching, going away un- 
comforted.' 

" i Wherein/ said the brother, c does our preaching 
differ from theirs ? ' 

" I answered that I could not tell ; but I was satisfied 
there must be a wrong somewhere. This idea haunted 
me through the whole series of meetings which I 
attended that fall. 

" Early next spring — 1826 — I set out for Kentucky 
to see my friends, especially my aged mother, whom I 
greatly desired to see before she passed to her reward. 
Late one afternoon, having traveled hard all day, I 
reached old Brother Guess's, whose house stood on the 
south side of Line Creek, a small stream which, at that 
point, divided Tennessee from Kentucky. As I rode up, 
Brother Guess came out to meet me. He told me, as I 
was tired, to go into the house and rest, and he would 
take my horse. He informed me that Sister Guess had 
gone to see a sick neighbor, but that she would be home 
directly and get me something to eat. As I entered the 
house, I looked for a book that I could read, while sit- 
ting resting myself. In a small book-case in one corner 
of the house, I saw some books. As I drew near I saw 
one with ( Debate on Baptism ' printed on the back. It 
struck me at once that it was the debate between Camp- 
bell and M'Calla, which took place in Mason county, 
Ky., October, 1823. I had heard it had been published, 
but had never seen it. It turned out as I expected. I 
knew I should have but a short time to examine it, and 



Elder Samuel Rogeks. 59 

began to turn over leaf after leaf to find something of 
especial interest to read. Turning the leaves slowly 
over, my eye caught Mr. CampbelPs speech on the de- 
sign of baptism. I read it carefully from beginning to 
end ; and I had scarcely concluded his masterly argu- 
ment on that subject when I sprang to my feet, dropped 
the book on the floor, clapped my hands repeatedly to- 
gether, and exclaimed: 'Eureka! Eureka!! I have 
found it! I have found it ! ! ' And, thanks be to God, I 
had found it ! I had found the keystone of the arch. It 
had been lost a long time. I had never seen it before — 
strange that I had not. But I had seen the vacant 
space in the arch a hundred times, and had some idea of 
the size and shape of it; and when I saw baptism as 
Mr. Campbell had presented it, I knew it would exactly 
fit and fill the vacant space. I was converted over; 
and was one of the happiest young converts you ever 
saw ; happier than when I was converted the first time, 
and a great deal more certain that I was right. Hitherto, 
I had been walking in the mud, or on the sand, and, 
withal, groping in the dark. Now, all was light around 
me, and I felt that I was standing on a rock ; and I have 
felt the same way ever since. From that day to this, I 
have never doubted that baptism is for the remission of 
sins. Not even a stray doubt has ever flitted across my 
mind. Every brother I met on my way from Line 
Creek home I told of the grand discovery. On the 
south fork of Green River, I met Brother Sandy E. 
Jones — he was not a preacher then — and told him of 
it. He affected not to receive it — perhaps did not; but 
the next time I heard of4iim, he was a preacher, and was 
preaching baptism for the remission of sins. 

"In the summer of 1826, I met Elder B. W. Stone, 
and spoke of the idea to him. He told me that he had 
preached it early in the present century, and that it was 
like ice-water thrown on the audience ; it chilled them, 
and came very near driving vital religion out of the 
church ; and that, in consequence of its chilling effect, 
he had abandoned it altogether. I insisted that it was 



60 Autobiography of 

God's truth, nevertheless, and that I felt compelled to 
preach it at a meeting at Sulphur Well, to which we 
were then, going. He begged that I should not preach it 
while he was present, but said he would leave after meet- 
ing Lord's-day morning; then I could do as 1 saw 
proper. I complied with his request, but preached it 
that night rather privately to persons who appeared to 
be concerned about their souls. Five, I think, was the 
number who were persuaded to take the Lord at his word. 
I immersed them the next morning for the remission of 
sins. Our venerable brother, Samuel Rogers, who is still 
living, was at that meeting, and was the only preacher 
who did not oppose the idea. 

"The next year, in September, I think, I preached 
baptism for the remission of sins on Cyprus Creek, in 
Lauderdale county, Ala., on Lord's-day night. Talbert 
Fanning was present and heard the discourse, was con- 
vinced of the truth, and, when the invitation was given, 
came forward and made the good confession, and was 
immersed the next morning for the remission of sins by 
Brother James E. Matthews. I witnessed the immer- 
sion. Brother James E. Matthews embraced the senti- 
ment at or soon after that time, and at my instance wrote 
several articles on the subject, addressed to Brother B. 
W. Stone, which were afterwards published in his 
Christian Messenger" 

I mention these cases to show how men would act, 
being untrammeled by creeds and human platforms. The 
light, even at that day, began to break through the 
clouds, in a few cases, and at intervals, giving promise 
of the brighter day about to dawn upon us under the 
teaching of that greatest of men, Alexander Campbell. 
As a people, though we were somewhat superstitious, 
and were advancing slowly towards the full day of 
gospel light, yet we were certainly preparing the way 
for this Reformation as no other people were. The 
sequel affords abundant proof of this, especially in 
Kentucky. 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 61 



CHAPTER XL 

Tour with Hughes to Missouri. — Cummins Brown. — Louis Byram. — 
Conversion of Elijah Goodwin, then a small boy.— Cast the net 
for a fish and caught a frog. — The frog's revenge. — The home of 
Kincaid. — Swimming rivers by day and camping out by night. — 
Springfield, 111. — Lost in the night. — Crossing the Snigh and other 
bayous.— A severe chill. — Recovered. — Meeting at Ramsey's Creek, 
Mo. — The last fall of the wrestler. — Franklin county. — Boone.— 
Howard. — Taken sick.— A hymn, etc. 

After arranging with Brother Hugnes appointments 
for a three months' tour through Indiana, Illinois and 
Missouri, I returned to my home in Ohio, where I 
preached in all the region round about until the time of 
starting. We had sent our appointments before us, no- 
tifying the brethren of our coming, and we were to meet 
at Pigeon Roost, near a river of that name in Indiana. 
Here we met and spent one week — the length of time 
we proposed to spend at each place. From this place, 
we proceeded to Lost River, where Brethren Cummins 
Brown and Louis Byram came to our aid. These meet- 
ings were quite successful. From here we went to the 
forks of White River, and had a glorious meeting, at 
which, among others, Elijah Goodwin was baptized. My 
recollection is that Cummins Brown baptized him. Then 
he was but a small boy : now he is past middle age, and 
has been among the most useful proclaimers in his own 
State, and has done great good wherever he has gone. 
He is as faultless in the matter of his discourses and 
writings as any one I know of. 

At this meeting, one night, while multitudes of mourn- 
ers were wrestling with God in prayer, my attention was 
directed particularly towards one fellow who was among 
them, cutting such strange antics that I was induced to 
approach him and look narrowly into his case. Stoop- 
ing down until I was near enough to catch his breath, I 



62 Autobiography of 

knew at once that I could not be mistaken in his being 
beastly drunk. I knew, from his manners, that he would 
break up our meeting if allowed to remain ; so, being 
then a very stout and active man, I seized him by the 
collar with one hand, and with the other I seized his 
pants, and lifted him up and cast him sprawling out into 
the darkness of the night, saying as I did so, " We cast 
our net for fish, and behold, we have caught a frog." 
The fellow soon became sober enough to seek revenge, 
and for that purpose he approached the stand, intending 
to mutilate my hat. That he might be sure of mine, I 
suppose, he cut two of them to pieces ; neither of them 
happened to be mine, however. 

From this place Brother Brown returned to Ken- 
tucky; but Brother Hughes and I pressed on our way 
westward. We passed on to the Embarras River, stop- 
ping to preach one day in Ellison Prairie ; thence a short 
distance beyond the river to our second appointment. 
Here Brethren John and Gabriel Scott and Brother 
William Kincaid were living. They were all preachers, 
though not very actively engaged in their calling. The 
people came to this meeting from a great distance, and 
manifested quite a desire to hear. While engaged in 
social conversation with the preachers of that neighbor- 
hood, a skeptic approached us, and, in the course of his 
conversation, administered a very severe reproof to the 
idle preachers of that region. Said he; "If I believed 
the Bible as you profess to : that it teaches men the way 
of escaping an awful hell and gaining an eternal abode 
of happiness, I could not rest a single day without using 
my utmost endeavors to save men. Yet," said he, 
" with the exception of these men (referring to Hughes 
and myself), I know of none of you who are not as 
busily engaged in the affairs of this world as I am, 
and you are doing little more to spread the gospel than 
I am. Therefore," he continued, " I conclude that idle 
preachers do not themselves believe the gospel." Some 
who heard this severe reproof profited greatly by it; 
for, as I afterwards learned, they began from that hour 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 63 

to be much more diligent, and, by exemplifying in their 
life what they taught with their lips, were the means of 
doing much good in this region of country. Truly, we 
may profit by the words of our enemies, though they 
may only design to reproach us. 

From this place we had nearly three days to travel 
before reaching our next appointment, on the Sangamon 
River, beyond Springfield, where a Brother English, 
with some other disciples, had settled. We set out on 
our journey well supplied with dried beef and corn 
bread. It commenced raining the day we started, and 
continued more or less every day for about three weeks. 
The creeks and rivers became much swollen. There was 
but one ferry on the way, and that was at Vandalia, on 
the Okaw. We had to swim creeks and rivers during 
the day, and camp out at night, with no protection from 
the storm. Notwithstanding this, we arrived on the 
third day at the appointed place, wet to the skin, but in 
good health and spirits. Brother English, who gave us 
a hearty welcome, had a stand prepared in a beautiful 
grove, and seats conveniently arranged for the hearers. 
The people seemed extremely anxious to hear, coming 
quite a distance through the rain, and keeping their 
seats, or standing as if transfixed, for hours, taking 
spring showers as they came. Springfield had then re- 
ceived its name, but was an inconsiderable village, with 
one small store, kept by a man from Bath county, Ky., 
named lies. The lands in this section were not yet in 
the market, though they had been recently surveyed. 
There were a number of small settlements in the neigh- 
borhood of Springfield at this time, awaiting the time of 
Government sales. I have traversed most of the west- 
ern country, and have always regarded the prairie lands 
of this region as the best in the West. 

Our next appointment was at Ramsey's Creek, Pike 
county, Mo., distant about two days' journey. We 
crossed the Illinois River late in the evening, and had 
but a dim path through the barrens and prairie to the 
ferry on the Mississippi where Louisiana now stands. 



G4 Autobiography of 

We traveled on until late at night, with no other light 
than the flashing lightning, which was almost incessant. 
In the midst of the thunder, lightning and rain, we, at 
length, lost our path. After an anxious search of some 
time, we succeeded in finding it, and we followed it until 
we entered a grove. Here we concluded to tie up our 
horses and wait for morning. We sat upon our saddles, 
and rested against a large tree, while we covered our 
heads with our blankets to protect us from the mosqui- 
toes, which were waiting to devour us. In this condi- 
tion we slept a little, not knowing what was ahead of us. 
Morning found us on the hills overlooking the Missis- 
sippi. Following a dim path, we were soon in the 
bottom, at the house of a man named Ross. Here we 
fed our horses, ate our breakfast, and were ready for 
new toils. 

Mr. Ross informed us that, to get to the ferry, which 
was six miles distant, we must cross an island and 
many bayous and creeks, which were then swimming. 
We crossed in a pirogue, and swam our horses by its 
side. The first bayou was called Snigh, and was at 
least one hundred and fifty yards wide. Other waters 
traversing the island we had to swim, so that, with diffi- 
culty and peril, we reached the ferry late in the evening, 
and found the waves running so high under a fresh gale 
that the ferryman would not venture to put us over 
until morning. That evening, having been so completely 
drenched, and so much fatigued and worn out, I had a 
severe chill. The ferryman kindly furnished us skins to 
sleep on and to cover with, and, after giving me a cup 
of strong spicewood tea, and other attentions, he com- 
mitted us to sleep for the night. I slept soundly and 
perspired freely during the night, and was entirely re- 
lieved by morning. We now crossed the river and hur- 
ried on to oar appointment at Ramsey's Creek. We 
were two hours late, but the people waited patiently 
until our arrival. 

Here we had a glorious meeting. Eighty persons pro- 
fessed religion and were baptized. One of the number 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 65 

was a fellow-soldier of mine in the war of 1812; he was 
Corporal of the company of which I was Orderly Ser- 
geant. We were both active, and, when in camp, fond 
of wrestling, but were so completely matched we could 
never determine who was the best man. As I was lead- 
ing him into the water, I said to him, " Well, brother, 
I am going to throw you the last fall now/' He has long 
since crossed the Jordan, but was faithful unto death. 

From Ramsey's Creek we crossed over to the south 
side of the Missouri, and went into Franklin county, 
where we had our next appointment. My youngest 
brother Williamson, my mother, Aunt Mclntyre, and 
a few other disciples, lived in this neighborhood. We 
gained a triumphant victory. In this same region I had 
sown my wild oats, to the annoyance and disgust of 
some who were present at this meeting. When in my 
youth, I suppose no one ever served the devil more 
faithfully than I did. I was not a large man, but mus- 
cular and very active, and capable of handling adver- 
saries very roughly who were much over my size. Some 
of these people had witnessed my wild revels in those 
days, and took pleasure in speaking of a certain day 
when they had seen me fight three successive and suc- 
cessful battles. They told this, not that they delighted 
in this ruffian-like conduct of mine, but rather that the 
recollection of what I had been, and had done, enabled 
them to better appreciate what great things the Lord 
had done for me. I am of the opinion that the recol- 
lection of the fact that I was now on the ground where 
I had done so much for Satan, gave me additional 
strength and zeal to battle for the Lord. I met my old 
comrades in sin at the foot of the cross, exhorted them, 
prayed for them, and rejoiced in their deliverance. 
Retrospecting the past, I can say truly with David, 
" The Lord has done great things for me, whereof I am 
glad." My brother-in-law remarked to me on this 
occasion that, if he had been going to call a man to the 
work of the ministry, I would have been the last man 
he would have selected among his acquaintances. 



G6 Autobiography of 

" Yes," said I, " but the Lord's ways are not yours, 
but heaven-high above them; hence, he has chosen 
'mean things/ which you, in your ignorance, would 
have passed by." 

" But," said he, " I can not account for your success, 
reared, as you have been, in the backwoods, with little 
or no education, and having led so reckless a life in 
youth ; while others, with better early opportunities 
every way, do not accomplish half so much." 

I answered him that those men did not understand so 
well as I where to find a sinner. I had been in all his 
lurking places, and knew so well where to aim, that, 
shooting off-hand as I did, I could wound half a dozen 
while those elegant ones were looking for the game, or 
hunting a rest to shoot from. 

From Franklin, we crossed over to Boone and How- 
ard, holding a number of successful meetings in those 
counties. At one of these meetings we baptized James 
McBride, who married the daughter of my old friend, 
Philip Miller. He became one of our best preachers, 
moved to Springfield, and, at length, to Oregon Terri- 
tory, now a State. We returned to Franklin county, held 
another good meeting, and then turned our faces home- 
ward. After filling a number of appointments on the 
way, we arrived at home in the month of July, and both 
were taken down with fever soon afterwards. My attack 
was violent ; so much so that I despaired of life. In a 
few days, however, I was up and able to work again. 

During this sickness, as the result of febrile excite- 
ment, rather than any natural endowment, I became 
quite poetical, and called for pen and paper, though I 
was not able to sit up in bed without assistance. My 
wife supplied me with writing materials, and, having 
propped me up in bed, held a candle for me while I 
penned the following : 

Begone, you earthly toys of sense, 

A nobler joy attracts my mind; 
A vast, immortal recompense, 

A treasure that is all divine. 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 67 

Thou King of Terror, falsely no med — 

To me thou art the Prince of Peace ; 
With pains and fevers rend this veil, 

And give my fettered soul release. 

My anchor, Hope, is still secure ; 

I safely ride the swelling flood, 
And shout to think I '11 gain the shore 

By faith in Jesus' precious blood. 

The curtain now is drawn aside ; 

I see my anchor still secure : 
Through winds and waves I safely ride, 

With Jesus standing at the oar. 

He safely takes my vessel o'er, 

I, fearless, pass the swelling flood, 
And shout to think I 've gained the shore 

By faith in Jesus' precious blood. 

Me thinks I hear the angels speak, 
And say to me, "How cam'st thou here?' ' 
" Sirs, out of tribulation deep," 
I answer wi Jiout dread or fear. 

I washed my robes in blood divine, 

And stand arrayed in white above ; 
With all the happy millions join 

To shout and sing redeeming love. 

But ah ! a grander note shall sound, 

Whene'er this body meets the soul ; 
When Gabriel's trump shall shake the ground, 

And wreck this globe from pole to pole. 

This body, then immortalized, 

Awakes, ascends the vaulted skies; 
Doth in its Saviour's image rise, 

Where saints and angels harmonize. 

O, then my bliss will be complete ; 

With palms of victory in my hand, 
I '11 lay my laurels at His feet, 

And thus conclude : Amen ! Amen ! 



68 Autobiography of 



CHAPTEK XII. 

A tour to Virginia. — Almost without food for two days. — A witcli 
converted. — She surprised the superstitious mountaineers by sink- 
ing. — A triumph for truth.— Home again. 

In a few weeks, I turned my face eastward ; traveled 
and preached through the eastern part of Ohio, Penn- 
sylvania, and on to Baltimore. At that time we had a 
few weak churches in Southeastern Ohio, and in Bedford 
county, Pa. Brother William Caldwell, a good and true 
man, had married and settled near a place called Bloxly 
Pun, near where were three or four small churches. In 
passing on to Baltimore, I learned a lesson of an African 
slave that has been of benefit to me ever since. The 
country through which I w r as passing abounds in beauti- 
ful springs, one of which I was approaching at the same 
time that a fine silver-mounted carriage halted near. A 
servant alighted from it, bearing a silver pitcher and cup 
in his hand. Upon meeting him at the spring, I asked 
him for a cup of water. Said he, " If you please, sir, 
when I have served my master." Deeply sensible of the 
just reproof, I waited patiently until the servant re- 
turned, and held out a cup brimming with cold, sparkling 
water, which I lifted to my grateful lips. I then thanked 
the boy, at the same time handing him a small piece of 
silver. This, and more, I felt was due the servant, not 
only for his politeness in waiting upon m a , but also for 
teaching me how to serve my Master. Here was one, 
bought with his master's money, who was more faithful 
and understood his obligations better than we who have 
been bought with our Master's blood. I left that spring 
with the words, " when I have served my master," ring- 
ing in my ears, and settling down into my heart. I 
adopted the motto, "My Master first; then, others." 

In Baltimore we had a small congregation, but no 
preacher. I preached a few discourses in the city and 



Elder Samuel Rogebs. 69 

baptized a few persons. Some twenty miles from the 
city, in Harford county, on Gunpowder, we had a good 
meeting, and I baptized a number of converts. There 
were a number of small churches in this region that 
formed quite a nucleus ready for the Reformation which 
soon followed. Many privations and sore trials awaited 
me on this tour, of which I will not now speak, except 
to say that I was compelled to sell my Bible and hymn 
book to pay ferriage and other incidental expenses on 
my way home. These books had been of great service 
to me, and, in giving them up, I comforted myself with 
the thought that my temporary loss might, in God's 
providence, prove an eternal blessing to the new owner 
of my books. 

On my arrival at home, I found Daniel Combs wait- 
ing for me. He came to get me to go with him on a 
tour to Little Sandy. He had lately surveyed the field/ 
and was enthusiastic with the conviction that it was fully 
ripe for the harvest. I was tired, and had no money, 
and my wife had none. She had been almost entirely 
alone for months ; still she uttered no word of complaint, 
believing that we were called as were the Apostles, and 
that the same woe would attend us if we preached not 
the Gospel. Combs had a little money, which he gener- 
ously divided with my wife ; and, after I had taken a 
short rest, we departed, gathering, from all that we had 
learned, that the Lord had a special work for us on the 
Sandy. 

On the first night, we preached at the forks of Brush 
Creek, and there we ate our last meal until we arrived 
at McAllister's, on Little Sandy, which journey con- 
sumed forty-eight hours. We had a little money to pay 
for feeding our horses, but not enough to pay for our 
meals. We obtained a few apples, and lived on them 
alone for two days and nights. We made beds of our 
saddle-blankets, and pillows of our saddles, contenting 
ourselves with the thought that, if we had been satisfied 
with such fare in the service of Caesar, we should cer- 
tainly be in the service of King Jesus. When we ar- 



70 Autobiography of 

rived at the place of meeting, we found the people in 
high spirits, awaiting our coming with the expectation of 
a glorious meeting; nor were they disappointed, for the 
truth triumphed gloriously. 

Not far from our place of meeting was a settlement of 
very superstitious people, who believed in witches, and 
seriously harassed some of their neighbors who, they 
thought, had bewitched them. One of the most noto- 
rious of the supposed witches, who had been burnt in 
effigy, and whose effigy had been shot with a silver bul- 
let, came to our meeting and was baptized. On the day 
of her baptism, all of her superstitious neighbors came 
to see her baptized, believing that she could not sink in 
the water, and that, therefore, she would be completely 
exposed before the multitude as a veritable witch. They 
had such a tradition among them, that a witch could not 
be put under water. Therefore, when they saw me bap- 
tize her with as much ease as I baptized other candi- 
dates, they seemed astounded. We knew nothing of 
this until about the close of the meeting, when we 
learned that the preaching of the gospel and the baptiz- 
ing of the woman had determined those superstitious 
ones to abandon the persecution of witches. We bap- 
tized at the same meeting a man of more than ordinary 
talents, by the name of Burns, who became quite a use- 
ful preacher; but, being poor and having a family to 
support, he mixed law with preaching, which I have 
always regarded as a dangerous experiment, if not an in- 
dication of very weak faith. We preached for some time 
in that region, extending our labors as high up as Guyan- 
dotte, Va. Here Combs and I parted — he for Ken- 
tucky, and I, by the way of Chillicothe, home. To 
reach Chillicothe, I traversed a very rough country, and 
found but few creature comforts. We had no church 
there, but I found a few faithful disciples, who adminis- 
tered to my wants for the night. I reached home in one 
day from this place, having ridden fifty miles. 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 71 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Our mode of worship. — No choirs, nor tuning-forks. — Acre. — Shick. 
— The runt calf. — Conferences in Ohio. — Our blunders. — Working 
a miracle. — A disappointed enthusiast. 

I now devoted myself for some time to the interests 
of the churches I had planted in the region around 
home. I found them doing well, and the cause suc- 
ceeding in their hands better than I could have ex- 
pected. It must be remembered that almost every 
convert we made in those days was required to pray, not 
only at home, but in the church also ; and all who had 
voices to sing, surig with the spirit; whether with the 
understanding or not, I will not venture to say. We 
had no choirs then to do the singing for the congrega- 
tion, and we certainly had no organs — not even a 
tuning-fork. I can not say that our mode of worship 
was after the Apostolic pattern exactly; indeed, I know 
it was not. There w r as sometimes a want of good order 
in our worship, and, on particular occasions, I have 
witnessed scenes of great confusion in some of our 
churches. Still, as a rule, the people came together, 
one with an exhortation, one with a psalm, another with 
a fervent prayer, and all believing that the Lord would 
be with them, and give them a time of refreshing from 
His presence ; and it was not unusual for them to go 
away from such meetings shouting the praises of the 
Lord. They held frequent social meetings from house 
to house, and they seldom made a social visit without 
singing, and sometimes praying, together. 

Preachers were greatly needed then to do pioneer 
work ; but, when a church was once constituted in a 
neighborhood, the disciples took it for granted that, 
preacher or no preacher, they must let their light so 
shine before men, that others, seeing their good works, 
might glorify their Father in Heaven. 



72 Autobiography of 

After an absence of a few weeks or months from 
home, I found on my return persons in the different 
neighborhoods waiting for baptism. I was often kept 
busy for weeks, holding a meeting in the day-time at 
one point, and at night at another point, and baptizing 
the converts by day and night, some of whom had been 
converted by those who were called exhorters, but who 
were not authorized to baptize. Quite a number of 
young men now began to exhort and preach in this 
region, so that I could safely commit the cause to them 
in my absence. One of them was Jacob Acre, a Ger- 
man. In the beginning, he made rather an awkward 
appearance in public, and at times, from a want of famil- 
iarity with the English language, he made ridiculous 
blunders in attempting to select the proper word from 
synonomous terms. I was present on one occasion when 
he attempted to repeat his text from memory — " Behold, 
I stand at the door and knock." By a very slight blun- 
der, he set the whole house to laughing. u Behold, I 
stand at the door and peck," said he; and he could not 
command silence until he discovered and corrected his 
mistake, and added a pointed reproof. This man perse- 
vered, however, until he became very useful in word 
and teaching. 

Peter Shick also became an able preacher among us, 
and at the first dawning of the Reformation became one 
of its most powerful supporters. I remember, on a cer- 
tain occasion, he got into a controversy w T ith one of our 
old brethren, who, in opposing our reformatory move- 
ment, boasted that he had not changed a whit for twenty 
years. Shick quoted the passage in Malachi, " Ye shall 
grow up as calves of the stall," and said : " If I had a 
calf, and should put it in a good stall, and feed it for a 
whole year on nourishing food, and at the end of that 
time it had undergone no change, I should turn it out, 
and say, ' Go, you runt ; you are not worth your food/ " 

The following fall and winter, I attended several Con- 
ferences which had been recently organized by the 
Christian brethren of Ohio. Our people conducted them 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 73 

rather awkwardly, owing to the fact that, having set out 
with Brother Stone to take the Bible as the only rule of 
faith and practice, they had nothing in their creed to 
guide them in such a meeting, there being no such or- 
ganized body known in the w T ord of God. They made 
many attempts to transact business, but, owing to the di- 
versity of opinions entertained, accomplished very little. 
Hughes, Dooley and myself were anti-conference men, 
and were so recognized by our brethren generally. Hav- 
ing fully investigated the subject, we were unwilling to 
regard the decrees of any such ecclesiastical body as 
authoritative. At one of those meetings, a very zealous 
Conference advocate offered a resolution in substance 
like the following : 

" Resolved, That our Conference shall decide as to the 
validity of the call and qualifications of all preachers 
among us ; and that those who are not licensed by these 
Conferences shall not be recognized among us as author- 
ized preachers. " 

This resolution, offered by Guss Richards, would have 
excluded Hughes, Dooley and myself which all knew; 
and, as we had been successful recruiters, the brethren 
were not willing to sacrifice us, seeing that they had no 
divine warrant for so doing. So the calf was strangled 
before it was old enough to have horns. At another 
meeting, almost the entire time of the Conference was 
taken up in the discussion of the subject of the call to 
the ministry. In this discussion I took a deep interest, 
for this had been to my mind a most perplexing ques- 
tion. Many of us believed that we were the successors 
of the Apostles, and, therefore, that we had a right to 
expect the same signs that attended their ministry, and 
to have all their functions and powers. True, we were 
quite sensible of the fact that, as yet, the signs of our 
apostleship had not been given; that we had not yet 
been able to demonstrate our call by the exercise of 
miraculous powers; but we believed that, w r hen the 
Church should have come to a certain degree of per- 
fection, which we anticipated, then these powers would 

4 



74 Autobiography of 

attend its ministry. Meanwhile, we contented ourselves 
with dreams and strong impressions, in the absence of 
higher evidences of our divine call. Some even at- 
tempted to work miracles, and one of the most earnest 
and zealous among us apostatized from the faith on the 
ground of his repeated failures to work miracles, alleg- 
ing that, if called of God, as he had believed himself 
to be, he should have had the signs following his call. 

I was deeply concerned myself, and, at times, almost 
driven to despair on this very account. On one occa- 
sion, I met a lunatic wading through the mud, and, hav- 
ing neither silver nor gold to give her, I prayed God to 
heal her. She looked up at me, and said, " It ? s very 
muddy." I suppose that I was like the man that prayed 
to have a mountain removed, and who, after prayer, see- 
ing the mountain as it had always been, said, " I knew 
it would not be removed." Upon failing to get the 
desired answer to this prayer, my only refuge from 
skepticism was, that the weakness of my faith and 
the imperfection of the Church were the causes of this 
failure. 

During the discussion of this question, one preacher, 
Job Combs, desired to know T how to distinguish between 
impressions made by the Lord and those made by Satan. 
He stated that, on a certain occasion, when traveling on 
the highway, as he approached a large new dwelling, he 
became powerfully impressed that the Lord had called 
him to preach the gospel to the inmates, and warn them 
of the ruin that would certainly overtake them if they 
did not speedily repent. Accordingly, he approached 
and called several times, but received no answer. Borne 
on by this irresistible impression, he alighted from his 
horse, and knocked at every door, but found not a single 
inmate. It turned out that the house had not a single 
occupant in it. " Now," said he, " I suppose this was 
from the devil, for the purpose of shaking my faith ; for 
this false impression was as strong as the one which I 
construed as the call of God to the ministry." Though 
almost every member of the Conference relied either 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 75 

upon a dream or an impression as evidence of their call 
to preach, yet not one could answer satisfactorily the 
brother's question. 

The present generation may laugh at our folly, call us 
idiots, crazy, or what they please ; but what better could 
have been expected of those who made no distinction 
between the extraordinary and miraculous dispensations 
granted in the establishment of the Church, and the or- 
dinary procedure of the Church and ministry after its 
establishment? There are multitudes at the present time, 
with the accumulated light of the nineteenth century, 
who prefer a dream, a feeling, or an impression, as evi- 
dence of their acceptance with God, to the word of the 
Lord. There are respectable preachers in our midst 
who yet claim to have L^ard a voice calling them to the 
ministry, and who claim to speak as the Holy Spirit 
gives them utterance. It is true, they do not deny the 
fact that the day of miracles is past; but they still claim 
that every conversion is a miracle, and as direct a result 
of the power of God as the creation of a world would be. 



76 AUTOBIOGKAPHY OF 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Call to Virginia.— Counter-call to Missouri.— Doubts and perplexities. 
— Hamrick, Hughes and Dooley.— At Indianapolis.— Horses escape. 
—The pursuit.— They give up the tour and return home.— Moss 
saddles.— Backgirths and stirrups.— Sad disappointment.— Faith 
shaken as to the call to the ministry.— The visit of the Muse.— The 
poetical effusion. — The ministering angel-wife. 

The following Spring I arranged my affairs, with the 
view of visiting the land of my nativity — Charlotte 
county, in Old Virginia. For some time this matter 
had occupied my thoughts, and now so impressed my 
mind, that I concluded that God had really called me to 
the Old Dominion. Just on the eve of starting, I re- 
ceived a letter from James Hughes, requesting me to be 
at home at a certain time, nearly at hand, when he ex- 
pected to be at my home with a message from God for 
me. This somewhat puzzled me ; for I had made up my 
mind that God had called me to Virginia, and now a 
man of God requests me to await his coming, with an- 
other, and, perhaps, an adverse message. 

Soon Hughes arrived, in company with his son, John 
H. Hughes, and brother Lewis Hamrick — all in high 
glee for a summer campaign through Indiana, Illinois 
and Missouri, and declaring that they had been im- 
pressed so deeply that it was the will of God that they 
should go and take me with them, that they had called 
for me, not doubting my readiness to accompany them. 
Now, my difficulties were insuperable. Three men in 
whom I had implicit confidence, and whom I believed 
God had certainly called to the ministry, were opposing 
their impressions to mine. Up to this time I had been 
directed mainly, as to my course, by my impressions — 
impressions similar to those which now determined me 
to go to Old Virginia. If all of these impressions are 
from God, I reasoned, how is it that they are contra- 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 77 

dictory? I must either ignore them altogether, and be 
turned adrift, or conclude that either the Hugheses and 
Hamrick, or myself, must be mistaken in this instance. 
Of the two evils I chose the lesser, and tried to per- 
suade myself that my recent impressions had not been 
as deep as usual, and so I yielded to Hughes and Ham- 
rick. My wife saw my difficulty, and accounted for my 
inclination to go to Virginia upon natural principles. 
They said it was reasonable to suppose that I would be 
drawn towards my native land, where so many of my 
relatives dwelt, and that I should have a strong desire 
to break to them the bread of life. I determined, not- 
withstanding, to spend one night in solemn prayer to 
God, and the next day to shape my course from all the 
premises before me. I can not say that prayer, on this 
occasion, relieved me in the least from my embarass- 
ment ; but I determined my course, and was now pre- 
pared to go with my friends. I can not say that I went 
with them " nothing doubting;" for doubts and per- 
plexities clung to me like a loathsome leprosy, giving 
me little rest until, by the providence of God, the light 
of the present reformation broke in upon my way — 
then I found peace ; and since then not a single doubt 
has disturbed my thoughts regarding the call to the 
ministry, or the way in which I should direct my steps. 
The next day w r e set out upon our journey, and, after 
traveling only a few miles, brother Hamrick was taken 
quite ill. After a short rest we went on to Lebanon. 
The next day we started on our way, Hamrick being 
yet quite unwell, and by eleven o'clock he became much 
worse. We hurried on, however, and got to Hamilton, 
where we were compelled to put up at a hotel, and call 
in a doctor. That night we almost despaired of his life. 
The next morning we held a council, in which it was 
determined that John Hughes should hurry back to Ken- 
tucky, for sister Hamrick ; that James Hughes should re- 
main with Hamrick until his wife arrived ; that I should 
go on West and fill our appointments. In the mean- 
while, Hughes was to follow on and overtake me, pro- 



78 Autobiography of 

vided he could leave Hamrick in time. Proceeding on 
my way, I spent the following night with Thomas 
Dooley, whom I enlisted to go with me on my journey. 

Dooley was soon ready for the tour, and our first 
night out we staid with Dooley 's brother-in-law. He 
and his Christian wife entertained us well, and the next 
morning bid us God-speed, as we set out for Indianapo- 
lis, which was our next station. The seat of govern- 
ment had been recently located there, though, at the 
time, the country around appeared to be almost a 
boundless wilderness. We were kindly received by 
brother Morrison Morris and his Christian wife, who 
were early emigrants to this place from Concord church, 
Nicholas county, Ky. Here we were quite at home. After 
having preached a few discourses, we attempted to cross 
White river; but it had been raining for several days, 
until the river had overflowed its banks, and the cur- 
rent had become so rapid that Dooley, being no swim- 
mer, was afraid to venture across. So we determined to 
go down the river about ten miles, to a small settle- 
ment that we knew of, and there hold a meeting until 
the tide should recede. 

We put up at the house of sister Potinger, who im- 
mediately sent out runners to tell the glad tidings, that 
two preachers had arrived and would begin a meeting 
that night at her house. As pur horses had been 
stabled for some time, we thought best to place them in 
a lot, until night, supposing that they would be perfect- 
ly safe. Up to this time my horse had never left me. 
In a few hours the horses began to play, and directly 
they bounded over the fence, and were soon out of 
sight. Dooley and I seized our bridles without cere- 
mony, and pursued in haste. Soon we came in sight of 
them, but they again bounded away and disappeared in 
the deep forest. We tracked them through the slashes 
until w r e lost their trail. By this time it was growing 
late ; we turned to retrace our steps to the place of 
meeting. The earth was covered with water, night was 
fast approaching, and the wolves began to howl dole- 



Elder Samuel Rogeks. 79 

fully around. Dooley became alarmed, especially when 
we were unable to avoid the deep waters that were be- 
fore us. Being a good swimmer, I went before, and 
more than once fell into pools of water over my head. 
Dooley, being behind, was able to shun these deep 
places. After plashing through the swamps for some 
hours, we came to high ground, and were soon in a 
road ; but which end of it to take, we knew not. Fortu- 
nately, we took the right direction, and, late at night, 
were back at the place of meeting. The people had 
been there, waited until a late hour, and then returned 
to their homes. 

The next morning we took our bridles and saddle- 
bags, and started again on the track of our horses. We 
traveled all day through the slashes, and late in the 
evening came to a cabin on Sugar Creek, where we 
found that our horses had been secured by the gentle- 
man who lived there. We were now far on the way to 
Jackson's, where we had lodged as we came out, and, be- 
lieving that God had called us home in his providence, 
by the events of the last two days, we determined to 
heed the call. We gathered moss, which we used in- 
stead of saddles, by fastening it on our horses with 
girths of bark, of which material we also made stirrups ; 
then we mounted and hurried homeward. We arrived 
that night at Jackson's, where I changed my moss for a 
real saddle, thankful that I had not been taken up for a 
horse-thief while on my moss. The next day Dooley 
obtained a saddle, and the following night we arrived at 
his house, and found all well. This made me more un- 
easy than ever ; for I felt almost certain, that after our 
misfortune at White River, something serious had hap- 
pened, either to Dooley's family or mine, or the Lord 
would not have so hedged up our way. Now, since we 
had found all well at Dooley's, I expected to find some 
of my family sick or dead. 

I had fifty long miles between me and my home, and 
I determined not to rest until the mystery of this provi- 
dence should be reached, for, that it was a special provi- 



80 Autobiography of 

dence to turn me homeward, I had scarcely a doubt. I 
started early in the morning, and by, or before, sunset, I 
got in sight of my little home. As I approached it, the 
fear and dread I experienced, and all along the way the 
anxiety I felt, can not be described. Dark visions arose 
before me along the way. At one time it seemed to be 
a sick or dying child — at another, a dying wife, who, 
with last accents of affection, was leaving directions in 
regard to the little ones. I expected, in all probability, 
to see the neighbors' horses hitched around my house, 
as I should approach, and to meet some kind one at the 
door who would break the sad news to me with a tear- 
ful face, etc. Now the worst was to be known in a few, 
brief moments, and I could almost hear the throbbings 
of my aching heart, when the cabin and meadow beyond 
were in full view. But no neighbors' horses were there 
— no funeral procession in view — but wife and chil- 
dren, who had been spending the day at a neighbor's, 
were crossing the meadow on their return, all well, or 
apparently so. The children were skipping and chat- 
ting by the mother's side, and all seemed happy. Not- 
withstanding my great disappointment, I was more than 
happy to find every one in good health and better spirits 
than usual. What now could I make of all this? I 
could not doubt the goodness of the Lord; but I could 
not see into, or explain, this mysterious providence. 
What would now become of Hughes' and Hamrick's im- 
pressions? What would become of my own impres- 
sions? 

I was now ready to learn and embrace the truth. 
Certainly, I had been going on, heretofore, chiefly by 
the direction of blind impulse. Reason, judgment, and 
the Word of God, had been thrown into the back- 
ground. Dreams, visions, feelings, impulses and vain 
imaginings, had been consulted and chiefly relied on, 
even in the most important undertakings. This I began 
to realize, and I panted for a clearer light. 

The fatigue of the journey, together with the per- 
plexity of my mind, consequent upon the recent events, 



Elder Samuel Sogers. 81 

were more than a match for my robust constitution. I 
fell sick, very sick, both in body and mind. As I be- 
gan to recover, I went over the whole ground again, in 
reference to my conversion and call to the ministry. I 
could not doubt the truth of the Christian religion, nor 
could I question the wisdom and goodness of God. I 
gave myself up to the contemplation of God, both in 
the dispensation of nature and of grace. But what, 
thought I, avails all the glory of the heavens above, or 
the beauty of the earth beneath, without the love of 
God in the soul, or without the hope of redemption, 
through Jesus, from sin, death, and the grave ? I was 
not so much concerned about anything on earth, as the 
questions — " Is Jesus mine? has he recognized me as 
his child ? has he, as I have fondly hoped, called me to 
work in his vineyard ? have I evidence sufficient to 
prove that he has called me to preach the gospel ?" O, 
wretched man that I was ! groping my way in darkness, 
and the light of truth so nigh. 

In the midst of these reflections, my muse came to 
my relief. I called for pen, ink and paper. I know 
nothing of the laws of poetry, and may not know even 
what true poetry is, unless it be the spontaneous music 
of the soul. Yet I have, at intervals during my life, 
felt an irresistible impulse to write what I felt in my 
soul — whether it be poetry or a jingle of words. The 
following is a short specimen: 

Could I, with Herschel's piercing eye, 

Among the planets soar on high — 

What then ? Of all that I might gain, 

Without religion 'twould be Tain. 

Were I possessed of Newton's mind, 

And all his talents in me shined — 

The world to thunder its applause, 

And fix my name above the stars: 

With Newton's skill and Herschel's eye, 

And all their deep philosophy, 

If love be absent from my breast, 

I am accursed with all the rest. 
4* 



82 Autobiography o 

Could I fathom Nature — vast, profound, 
And with the comets take my round, 
And gaze on every sun that burns, 
And every globe that round them turns 
And after all my journey round, 
Could tell the wonders I had found : 
Not all the glories of the sky 
The want of love could e'er supply. 

As I began to recover, my faithful wife, with ever 
vigilant eye, discovered my despondency, and admin- 
istered to my poor heart the very consolations that I 
had ministered to others. Said she : " Why should we 
be cast down ? Has not the Lord done great things for 
us whereof we should be glad? Has not his gospel 
been powerful to our salvation ? Have not multitudes 
been brought to repentance by your preaching? What 
more should you expect from the Lord than what he has 
done? Suppose you have been deceived as to your im- 
pressions ; what of that ? Are not all men liable to be 
deceived ? The Lord has not deceived you. Man may 
have done so, or you may have done so yourself. You 
know that the promises of God are yea and amen. Has 
any promise failed you? Besides," said she, "you 
are not your own, but are bought, even with the pre- 
cious blood of Christ ; and therefore you are to serve 
Him. You are called to be a doer of good ; to let your 
light shine ; to improve your talents, whether one or 
five ; to teach j to warn ; to exhort. This much, in his 
Word, God calls on you to do, and, on the great day, he 
may ask you, should you now give up your work, 
1 Why have you been all the day idle?' " After listen- 
ing in silence to such gentle words as these, I felt again 
the inspiration of the cause, confessed my weakness, and 
renewed my vows. 



Elder Samuel Kogers. 83 



CHAPTER XV. 

Preaches in Highland county.— Baptism of a cripple.—Treatment 
by a preacher. —Attack by a ruffian. -r-The ruffian flies. — Does not 
accept fully the doctrine of non-resistance. 

I had sent an appointment to Brother William Stew- 
art's, in Highland count} 7 , where Lynchburg now stands. 
I attended the meeting at the appointed time, and en- 
joyed my usual freedom in addressing the people. A 
young lady was brought to the meeting who had not 
walked from her birth, and who, on hearing the dis- 
course, seemed deeply affected. I requested Sister Stewart 
to ask her the cause of her weeping. The young lady 
answered that she wished to be a Christian, and to be 
baptized ; but she was a cripple, and was not able to 
obey the Lord in that institution. I approached her 
myself, and informed her that she might be of good 
comfort ; she should have the accomplishment of her 
desire, if she loved the Lord Jesus Christ with all her 
heart. After the meeting, I carried her in my arms into 
deep water, repeated the ceremony, and immersed her 
without difficulty. As she came out of the water, she 
clapped her hands and rejoiced with exceeding joy. I 
represented to her that she would be healed by and by, 
if faithful ; that, in her baptism, she had represented 
the resurrection, in which she should come forth free 
from her infirmities, enabled to leap, and walk, and 
praise God. We were all very happy in sympathizing 
with the rejoicing girl. 

After a short circuit among the brethren in neighbor- 
ing regions, to see how they were doing, I returned and 
held a meeting of some days here, which resulted in 
much good ; indeed we had additions in those days at 
almost every meeting. During the meeting, I related a 
circumstance that had occurred at Williamsburg between 
a Methodist preacher and myself, as follows : 



84 Autobiography of 

I had an appointment at Williamsburg, at the court 
house, at eleven o'clock, and the Methodist preacher 
had an appointment an hour later at the same place. I 
was at the place in time, but found the door locked. I 
did not inquire as to who was responsible for this ; but, 
as I was a stranger in the place, I did not think it very 
good treatment, especially as the house was public prop- 
erty. We searched in vain for the sheriff, who had gone 
away with the key. We waited patiently until twelve 
o'clock, when the sheriff and the other preacher came 
up together. The door was unlocked, and we all en- 
tered, I following close upon the heels of the minister. 
After we went into the judge's stand, I informed him 
of my appointment, and requested the privilege of speak- 
ing when he should be through. He said he had some 
church matters to attend to, after which I might speak. 
When he had completed his work, I arose with a song, 
after which I exhorted with much freedom, and, as I 
became quite animated toward the close, several Metho- 
dists began to shout. Up to this time they did not know 
who I was, or of what religious complexion. I thought 
it a good time to let in a little distinctive truth; so I 
told them that I claimed to be simply a Christian, and 
that I recognized no other name. The shouting ceased 
instantaneously upon the announcement of my name, 
and all was as still as death, and apparently as cold. The 
preacher arose to catechise me about my creed. I handed 
him my Bible. He remarked : 

" That is not a creed ; that is a Bible." 

Said I : "Is not that enough ? Does not that con- 
tain all truth ? and is it not enough for ' doctrine, for 
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 
that the man of God may be perfect, and thoroughly 
furnished unto every good work' ?" 

" Oh," said he, " I understand who you are now. You 
are one of the followers of Barton W. Stone — a New- 
Light." 

I answered : " No, sir ; I claim to be a follower of 
Jesus Christ, as my name imports." 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 85 

The preacher at once dismissed the people, and closed 
the controversy without ceremony. 

As I related this incident in about the substance of 
the above, a young man present, who was a nephew of 
the preacher alluded to, became very angry, and threat- 
ened me with violence. I heard his threats, but disre- 
garded them. On my way home from this meeting, in 
company with my w T ife and Brother Daniel Combs, this 
feHow watched his opportunity, when Combs was some 
distance ahead, stepped out into the road, took my horse 
by the bridle, and broke the unpleasant news to me that 
he intended to give me a " sound thrashing." It had 
been several years since I had had any experience in 
this sort of argument, but I was by no means alarmed, 
only for my wife, who was greatly excited, and cried out : 

" Whip your horse ; give him the whip ! " 

" No," said I ; " not until I shall have whipped this 
cowardly miscreant ; " and, suiting the action to the 
word, I dismounted, and the fellow fled like a coward, 
and was heard from no more. I knew that he was a 
coward, and would run the moment I should dismount, 
for no one but a coward will attack a gentleman in com- 
pany with his wife. The place where this occurred has 
borne ever since the name of Preacher's Pinch. Perhaps 
this was neither the safest nor the most scriptural way 
of treating the case ; but, as the tactics which I had 
studied in early life had no rules laid down, either for 
flight or retreat, I did not know very well, upon the 
spur of the moment, how to do either ; and, at this very 
writing, it is difficult for me to adopt the doctrine of 
non-resistance without reluctance and a degree of mental 
reservation, to which those trained under different cir- 
cumstances are strangers. I was taught, from my youth 
up to mature manhood, to be prudent; to keep out of 
harm's way ; to lead a quiet and peaceable life, if possi- 
ble ; but I was also taught that, as God had armed his 
creatures with weapons of defense, He meant thereby 
that, when driven to the wall, it was not wrong to strike. 
I know very well that vengeance belongs to God ; and 



86 Autobiography of 

that He will repay; that, therefore, we dare not to 
avenge ourselves : but I consider that defending oneself, 
and taking vengeance, are very different things. 

We can not overlook the fact that God only promises 
to help us when we can not help ourselves. That this 
principle holds good both in the kingdom of Nature 
and in the kingdom of Grace, I think, is not to be 
questioned. If, therefore, I have all the means of pro- 
tection from bodily injury, shall I refuse to use them 
altogether, trusting in God for deliverance? To my 
mind, it is in more complete accord with His economy 
that I should do what I can to help myself, and call on 
him to prosper me in the proper use of the means. It 
must be admitted, however, that an abuse of the means 
is often confounded with their proper use. This does 
not more frequently occur in Nature than in the economy 
of Grace, and can not be brought forward as an argu- 
ment against the use of physical means, any more than 
it can be as an argument against the use of moral and 
spiritual means. 

With the example of Christ before us, we are forced 
to conclude that the cases are few and far between in 
which it may become our duty* to use physical force 
in maintaining our rights and defending our persons. 
It is unquestionably wrong to use such means for the 
purpose of gratifying our passions, or repelling an in- 
sult. But men are more ready to use carnal weapons 
in repelling insults and in punishing enemies, than in 
merely protecting themselves from bodily harm. No 
man can possibly state the doctrine upon this whole 
subject with anything like the force and beauty of the 
following passages in the twelfth chapter of Paul's letter 
to the Romans : 

" Recompense to no man evil for evil." 

" If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peace- 
ably with all men." 

" Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather 
give place to the wrath of God : for it is written, Ven- 
geance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." 



» 



Elder Samuel Eogees. 87 

" Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he 
thirst, give him drink : for in so doing thou shalt heap 
coals of fire on his head." 

"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with 
good." 

If we enter fully into the spirit of this teaching, we 
will not have frequent occasion for the use of carnal 
weapons, if we have any such occasion whatever. My 
observation during a long life has satisfied me that, in 
ninety-nine out of every one hundred cases, physical 
force has been used to gratify feelings of hate and 
resentment, rather than for purposes of protection from 
harm. 



88 Autobiography of 



CHAPTER XVL 

Still despondent. —Advice to young soldiers.— Tour to Missouri with 
his brother John.— Lexington.— Dover. — Mixing things.— The rat- 
tlesnake.— Howard county.— Fall from his horse. — Raccoons.— Safe 
at home.— Lungs involved. — No lions in those days. — All praise 
to God.— Why not? 

As stated in a previous chapter, my wife, who has 
ever been to me an angel of light, by her gentleness 
and courage had lifted me out of my despondency and 
gloom ; but my deliverance was not complete. I was 
relieved, comforted, and strengthened, but not altogether 
cured. The real cause of my trouble had not been re- 
moved. In spite of all efforts to the contrary, doubts, 
despondency and gloom, at intervals, overcast my mind, 
oppressed my spirits, and almost drove me to despair. I 
found myself moving on to my work in a sort of me- 
chanical way, laboring as one oppressed with a burden 
too grievous to be borne, ready to cry out, " O, wretched 
man that I am ! who shall deliver me from the body of 
this death?" I knew not then that, in the volume of 
God's inspiration, I might find a ready solution of every 
difficulty, if I would only examine it with an unpreju- 
diced mind, reading it as I would read any other book, 
taking it for granted that its most obvious meaning was 
the true one. I was like the idiot who went about with a 
thorn sticking in his flesh, agonizing with the sufferings 
it produced, but without common sense enough to re- 
move it. 

In looking back upon those days, and remembering 
how I suffered, and agonized, and prayed over my 
troubles, when the cure was so near, so convenient, and 
so simple, how I sympathize with the thousands of poor 
deluded souls who, from one cause or another, are wan- 
dering in the mist and fog of Babylon, and know not 
the way to Jerusalem, and have no one to show them 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 89 

the way. I now wonder, that with the Bible before me, 
I did not see the truth sooner. I can not account for 
the fact that one in search of the truth should pass over 
it so frequently without finding it. I was like the old 
lady who w^as all day searching for her spectacles, and 
never found them until a friend showed them to her on 
her own forehead. The young preachers of this gener- 
ation can never fully appreciate their privileges and op- 
portunities. They were free born, and know not how 
much trouble they have been saved from ; they can never 
know how hateful a thing it is to be a bondman in Mys- 
tery Babylon. Old as I am, the remembrance of the 
days of my bondage stirs my blood, and animates me 
with the desire to renew the conflict against error, super- 
stition and mysticism, that, happily, I might set some 
prisoners free who have been bound in affliction and 
iron, and lead them into the glorious liberty of the sons 
of God. Young Soldier of the Cross, see that you make 
no compromises with error and sectarianism. Unsheathe 
your sword, and never return it to the scabbard until 
the last captive to superstition and mysticism has been 
set free. 

I suppose it was partly to attempt an escape from the 
sad reflections that had been haunting me, and partly to 
see again the country and people, and especially the 
mother that I loved, that, in the summer of 1822, I 
made another journey to Missouri. My brother, John 
Rogers, accompanied me on this tour. We had arranged 
our appointments at proper stages along the route, so as 
to have preaching almost every day or night on our 
journey. The greatest distance between settlements now 
being but a moderate day's journey, we were not under 
the necessity of camping out, as I had often done on 
former occasions. We still carried some provisions with 
us in case of necessity, and often dined upon our cold 
bread and dried beef. Though we held no protracted 
meeting on the way, yet we had many joyful seasons. It 
was not unusual, after a hard day's journey, to meet at 
night a crowd of anxious people waiting for the bread 



90 Autobiography of 

of life. Sometimes we were detained in exhortation, 
singing, praying, and talking to anxious inquirers after 
the way of salvation, until midnight. 

I believe the first protracted meeting we held in Mis- 
souri was in Lexington, then an inconsiderable village, 
not much like the Lexington of to-day. We were per- 
mitted to hold our meetings in the court-house, which 
was a rude log structure, of which the present proud 
inhabitants would be ashamed. The log court-house 
was in keeping with the houses generally, and compared 
quite well with all the surroundings. The people were, 
in the main, a rough-looking class, though they treated 
us as kindly, and heard the word as gladly, and listened 
as patiently, as the most refined and cultivated could have 
done. We had our mourners' benches in those days, 
and proceeded in our meetings much like the Methodists 
do now. We had a great many mourners to come for- 
ward at this meeting. We prayed for them as usual, and 
quite a number professed religion, as we used to say. 
During the meeting, we sojourned with an old sister who 
lived in the edge of the town, as she was better prepared 
to entertain us and take care of our horses than anyone 
else. This dear old lady, having learned that I was 
very fond of tea, and never having used the article her- 
self, sent off and purchased some for my special benefit. 
At supper she asked me how I enjoyed my tea. I told 
her that it did quite well, but I thought it would have 
been better if it had been allowed to draAV longer. The 
next evening, when we sat down to supper, she congratu- 
lated me upon the prospect of my having a better cup of 
tea than that of the previous evening : " For," said she, 
" I have had it on boiling all the evening." This oc- 
curred in the house of one of the best families in that 
country. I suppose their descendants could do better 
now in the way of tea-making, but I very much doubt 
if they know any better how to use real Christian hos- 
pitality than did their ancestors. 

Our next meeting was at the house of Brother Solo- 
mon Cox, where the town of Dover now stands. Here 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 91 

the emigrant found as rich a country as any in America. 
At least, such was my opinion from the luxuriant growth 
of walnut, linden, haekberry, box-elder and spicewood, 
that, with the immense grape vines, made a shade so 
dense as to almost exclude the rays of the sun from the 
earth. I have no very distinct recollection of the result 
of our meeting, or how long we remained. I have, 
however, a vivid recollection of an adventure that I am 
tempted to relate. I have often been in the habit of 
mixing up a little recreation, such as fishing and hunt- 
ing, with my preaching, especially when a favorable op- 
portunity offered. Being naturally fond of the deep 
forest, I was in the habit of taking a daily stroll through 
it for reflection and quiet meditation. At different times, 
I had seen squirrels sporting in the trees around me in 
such a manner as to put me in the notion of carrying a 
rifle. So the next stroll I made to the forest, I carried 
a rifle with me. Having pursued my accustomed path 
for some time, until I came to a large vine, which had 
grown in such shape as to afford an inviting seat, I sat 
down, and bent my gaze upon a neighboring tree, where 
I discovered a large fox-squirrel about half concealed. 
The wind was blowing briskly, swaying the branches of 
the tree, so that I concluded to watch and wait for the 
wind to subside a little before discharging the contents 
of my rifle at my game. 

Meanwhile, I heard a suspicious crackling of the dry 
leaves near by, and though reluctant to withdraw my gaze, 
at length I turned, and looking down, saw, to my aston- 
ishment and dismay, a huge rattlesnake, with head erect 
and tongue playing like forked lightning, moving slowly 
towards me, and almost within touching distance. At 
a single bound I was out of his reach, and in a moment 
had discharged the contents of my rifle with deadly aim. 
He w T as a monster in size, and venerable with age, hav- 
ing no less than sixteen rattles attached, which I carried 
home as a trophy. If the old serpent in the garden had 
resembled him in shape and in appearance, I am not 
disposed to believe that our mother Eve could have been 



92 Autobiography of 

greatly charmed. It was a long time before I recovered 
from my fright ; so, you may imagine, my sermon for 
that day was completely spoiled, it being impossible for 
me to so concentrate my thoughts upon the subject as to 
exclude the horrid vision from my mind. We may learn 
that in all the walks of life the old serpent is watching 
his opportunity to strike us, and that it becomes us to 
watch with unceasing vigilance his every avenue of ap- 
proach. He is apt to surprise us, too, in the midst of 
pleasure — more liable to approach us then than at any 
other time, because, being off our guard, we afford him 
the most favorable opportunity to do us injury. Not- 
withstanding my pleasure-seeking and un watch fulness, 
the Lord graciously preserved me, and I praise Him 
for it. 

From this place we went into Howard county, having 
crossed the Missouri at the mouth of Chariton River. 
Our road led us through a large tract of prairie, which, 
at that season of the year, was infested with green horse- 
flies, which were so thirsty for blood that they made 
our horses unmanageable. We alighted to obtain some 
brushwood with which to drive away the flies, and I 
unfortunately selected a brush from the sumac tree. The 
leaves of this tree are green and purple on one side, and 
of a milky whiteness on the other. When, therefore, I 
attempted to mount my horse, he took fright at the bush 
of many colors, and threw me on the ground so vio- 
lently that for some time I was quite insensible. 

When I had measurably recovered from the shock, 
my brother assisted me into the saddle, and, riding by 
my side, supported me for seven tedious miles before we 
were able to find a resting-place for the night. I have 
called them tedious miles, and so they were : for every 
step of my horse pierced me with pain, and almost sick- 
ened me unto death. I wanted to lie down on the 
ground, and rest, or die, but my brother encouraged me 
to endure the pain, and urged me on until we arrived at 
a house where we were made welcome for the night. 
Providentially, we found a traveler there who was fur- 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 93 

nished with a lancet, and, being an expert at blood-let- 
ting, he bled me copiously, which gave me great relief 
and enabled me to rest for the night with some degree 
of comfort. 

The next morning, I had sufficiently recovered to ride 
on, by very short stages, to our appointment, but my 
brother had to do all the preaching. From this place 
we went on to Franklin county, where I spent several 
days with my kindred and friends, but was still not able 
to preach. It was now agreed that my brother should 
fill all our appointments, and that I should return home 
and recruit my health. Accordingly, I turned my face 
towards home, and, after a long and tiresome journey, I 
arrived there in safety, but not by any means with a 
sound body. By close examination, it was found that a 
rib had been so fractured as to involve my lungs quite 
seriously. Hemorrhages had set in, from which I was 
not relieved for many months. For a long time, I ap- 
peared to be going into a decline, and at one time, my 
friends despaired of my recovery ; but, by the goodness 
of a kind Father, I was able in "less than a year to take 
the field again. 

On my arrival at home, my friends gathered in to see 
me, as was their custom, to welcome me back, and to 
hear the news. They did not come in to lionize or to 
idolize me on account of my successes. Far from it. 
There were not many lions in those days. They would 
have thought of praising the man in the moon as soon 
as me, for the work of the Lord which I, as an humble 
instrument, had accomplished. In those days, men 
were left pretty much out of view. We trusted God 
for everything ; we gave Him all the honor and all the 
praise. 

It was customary, upon my arrival home from a 
preaching tour, to detail minutely to my family and 
friends every incident and circumstance of my jour- 
ney, with a particular account of my meetings ; and 
all looked and listened with interest, not to hear or 
see me in all this, but to hear the footsteps of God, and 



94 AUTOBIOGEAPHY OP 

to see the work of His hand in all these things. If a 
great revival had occurred, we praised God for it with 
one heart and one voice. If affliction had befallen me, 
we saw, or thought we saw, in it, the workings of a kind 
though mysterious providential hand. We saw God in 
everything ; w^e saw Him everywhere ; w^e saw Him in 
prosperity and in adversity, in sickness and in health, 
in life and in death. I would not say that my kind- 
hearted and loving wife did not allow herself to utter a 
word of regret at my affliction ; but she, and all my 
friends together, saw, or thought they saw, the hand of 
God in the whole affair. 

Though I will not say that we did not go to great 
extremes sometimes in our attempts to trace the hand 
of the Lord, yet I believe we were nearer right then 
than the majority of professors of religion are now in 
their attempts to ascribe everything to natural causes. 
Indeed, if natural causes do produce the effects that we 
see, w T hy should we exclude God from them, seeing that 
nature works by His almighty power? I do not see 
why we may not as readily see God in the ordinary and 
every-day workings of His mighty power, as in the 
extraordinary and miraculous demonstrations of His 
power. I know that old men are disposed to magnify 
the virtues of the past, and I will not say that I form 
an exception to the rule. But, with all our faults and 
foibles in those days, there was that commendable un- 
selfishness that all the godly must admire, which gave 
God all the honor and all the praise, however successful 
an instrumentality might be. We heard then of what 
God had done for the soul, not what man had done. We 
are now almost afraid to say, God has done this, or God 
has done that, simply because we understand by what 
means and instrumentalities it has been accomplished. 
Because we understand that faith comes by hearing, 
and hearing by the word of God, and because we un- 
derstand what the conditions of salvation are, is no 
reason why w r e should leave God out of the question. 
Does not God give day by day our daily bread ? Does 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 95 

He not feed the young ravens when they cry ? Is it not 
true that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation 
to every one that believeth ? Vain and silly men would 
have us believe that God has only done a few days' 
work from all eternity. They say He worked in Nature 
six days, and ceased forever from all care of the physi- 
cal world. Then they would have us believe that He 
worked a little while in the establishment of the Church, 
and ceased from His labors in that respect. But the 
truth is, that in Him we live, and move, and have our 
being, both temporally and spiritually. He numbers 
the very hairs of our head, and not a sparrow falls to 
the ground without His notice. 



96 Autobiography of 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Starts in company with John Rogers for Virginia.— Churches visited 
by the way.— Need of caring for weak churches. — Visit to their 
uncle, John Williamson.— Parson Mitchell's attempt to immerse.— 
A. Oalvinistic argument.— Great awakening in Pittsylvania county. 
—The O'Kellyites. 

By the blessing of God, having so recovered my 
strength as to be able to endure the fatigue of another 
journey, I arranged for another visit to the Old Domin- 
ion, in company with my brother, John Kogers. 

We left home in the latter part of the month of May; 
passed through Eastern Kentucky, along the Little 
Sandy ; then over to the Kanawha, and up New Kiver 
into Giles county, Virginia. We found several congre- 
gations on the way, but I regret to say, that many of 
them had a name to live, while in reality they were 
dead. If a dead body is a stench in the nostrils of men, 
what must a dead church be, in the nostrils of Him who 
gave His Son to redeem it, and purify and sanctify it? 
We had our plans so arranged that we could not stop 
with these churches long enough to do them much good. 
I believe, however, that the passing words we gave 
them was not labor lost, for many whom we communed 
with expressed not only a strong desire, but a firm de- 
termination, to do better. 

In Giles county we found the churches in need of 
much encouragement. With some of them, the light 
seemed to have been altogether extinguished. None of 
them were living up to their privileges, and all needed 
much instruction and encouragement. Here we re- 
mained long enough to see the drooping spirits of the 
people much revived. We reorganized a few congrega- 
tions; reclaimed many backsliders, and witnessed the 
conversion of many souls to God. The little that we 
did here for the Lord, was signally blessed to the up- 



Elder Samuel Eogers. 97 

building of the drooping cause throughout the county. 
I have reason to believe that our visit to this part of 
the country was just in time to save many from a hope- 
less state of apostasy. There is a critical period in the 
history of every backslider, when a little encourage- 
ment and instruction may save from irrecoverable ruin. 
I am disposed to think that in the providence of God 
our mission in Giles county, Virginia, was at the very 
time to save them. 

It would be a great thing for the cause of Christian- 
ity, if we could have a few experienced men in every 
district, who were willing to devote themselves to the 
work of visiting the weak congregations, not only to see 
how they do, but to tarry with them long enough to get 
them on their feet, and make them self-sustaining. God 
never intended that his evangelists should build up con- 
gregations and then leave them to perish in helpless in- 
fancy; but that they should nourish and cherish them until 
they have strength to stand and walk alone. All extremes 
ought to be avoided. After a child is born, it would be an 
extreme measure to keep a nurse by its side perpetu- 
ally, and on, during the entire period of its life. This 
would be a destructive measure, calculated to rob the 
child of its independence. So I would not have the 
church nursed to death, and nursed forever, by the 
preacher. But there ought to be such nursing in the 
beginning, and then, such watch-care to the end, as 
would promote the health, growth and strength of the 
church, and prevent the backslidings and disbandings 
that are of so frequent occurrence. 

But then we are such sticklers for plans and schemes, 
that nobody can go and do God's appointed work with- 
out having his commission made out, signed and coun- 
tersigned, and sealed and delivered, according to the 
latest decision of the wise and prudent. So, while all 
this is being done, souls die, and churches dissolve. I 
care very little about plans, and shall never fight against 
them, nor shall I fight for them. I have worked by or 
under plans, and have worked without them. I have la- 

5 



98 Autobiography of 

bored as the servant of a single congregation, and as the 
servant of a county co-operation, and as the sent of the 
State Board, and I have sent myself out ; and have been 
blessed equally in all these ways, and have had no con- 
scientious scruples about the matter at any time. This 
only has concerned me : Am I doing God's work, and 
am I preaching by his authority ?. Where there is desti- 
tution and suffering, there I have made it my business 
to go and carry relief; instead of letting souls perish 
while I was preparing to carry life to them by special 
rule. Let every preacher of the gospel resolve, when 
he first devotes himself to God's cause, that he will do 
all the work in his power, whether sent and sustained 
by a National Board, a County Board, or by himself; and 
if I know anything about the gospel of God's grace, 
prosperity will follow him. To the young preacher I 
will say, while it is in my mind to say it : Preach oo, and 
go out preaching, and continue preaching, situation or 
no situation. You must not think that, if you go out 
preaching without a situation, you will starve or want 
for clothing. If you want a situation, go to work 
with such trust in God as will make you worthy of a 
place. I fear a great many look more to men for a 
position, than they do to God ; and hence, neither God 
nor men care to give them situations. Do not forget 
that God is the great Disposer. I would also say to our 
older preachers, who are literally nursing many of the 
large and strong churches to death, that if they would 
leave the home church to take care of itself about one 
Sunday in every month, giving that day to some weak 
point in the country, many dying churches might be 
saved, the home church benefited by being thrown upon 
its own resources, and the preacher himself recreated. 
But the churches will not allow this. They are like 
spoiled babies, that cry and fret if the mother leaves 
them only long enough to make up a bed or sweep the 
house. If the preacher desires ever so much to go and 
work a little for the destitute, there is so much grumb- 
ling and fretting by his spoiled and cross members, that 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 99 

he becomes discouraged, and abandons his purpose. We 
found two godly men in Giles county, who, at their own 
charges, were giving a portion of their time to the work 
of the Lord. I allude to brethren Duncan and Adams. 
But for their watchfulness, I doubt if many witnesses 
for Jesus had been left in all that region of country. 

From here we crossed over the Allegheny Mountains, 
into Botetourt county, spending only a few days there, 
on a visit to our uncle, John Williamson. Thence, 
crossing the Blue Ridge, we entered Bedford county, 
preaching in the neighborhood of the Mitchells, who 
were relatives of my wife. Notwithstanding they were 
Presbyterians of the straitest sect, they heard us pa- 
tiently. The young people seemed to be pleased with 
the doctrine of free grace, and expressed a desire to hear 
us further upon our peculiar views of the Christian re- 
ligion. The old people, however, though treating us 
courteously, informed us candidly that they had no use 
for the doctrine of free grace; which, had they known it, 
was equivalent to saying that they had no use for grace 
at all, seeing that all grace must be free. 

Parson James Mitchell, uncle to my wife, was a 
prominent preacher and teacher of theology among his 
people, and had everything pretty much his own way. 
A certain Baptist preacher had been very recently among 
them, as I was informed, and gave the old Parson con- 
siderable trouble. Many of his recent converts de- 
manded immersion of him, which annoyed him very 
much. He told me an amusing story about a servant 
of one of his neighbors, who had been so urgent in his 
request for immersion, that he consented, at length, to 
gratify him, though he had never done the like before. 
Accordingly, he prepared a platform, leading into the 
water about neck-deep, so that he could take the man 
into the water and baptize him, the administrator him- 
self keeping perfectly dry in the operation. But, in at- 
tempting to put the head of the subject under water, he 
lost his balance, and, plunging headlong into the flood, 
was completely immersed himself. This, he said, should 



100 AUTOBIOGKAPHY OF 

be his last attempt at immersion ; the rest he would leave 
for the Baptist preacher to do. He would not say, posi- 
tively, that immersion was not apostolic ; but he insisted 
that the mode was unimportant, and therefore he fol- 
lowed the practice of the fathers of his church. He ex- 
pressed deep concern for his sister — my mother-in-law, 
who had abandoned the Presbyterian faith in 1801, and 
had gone with B. W. Stone in the great movement of 
that day. I told him that I was rather astonished to 
hear him speak in that manner about his sister ; that if, 
according to his theory, she was only filling out the des- 
tiny marked out for her in the counsels of eternity, he 
ought to be content to let God's will be done. Or, if 
she had been reprobated or passed by, her remaining in 
the Presbyterian Church could not save her — that no 
faith or good works could save her. His answer was, 
that though it was true that the destiny of all had been 
fixed in the counsels of eternity, yet it was our duty to 
do all we could to reclaim men from error, and estab- 
lish them in the right way ; that the doctrine of election 
and reprobation did not justify indifference or neglect 
on our part. Of course, this was the only answer that 
he or any other Calvinist could make in such case. They 
set out with a doctrine that, carried out to its legitimate 
results, makes all our efforts fruitless, and makes every- 
thing that occurs but the fulfillment of God's will. 
But, as common sense and reason revolt at such results, 
they are compelled to say, at last, that which contradicts 
the doctrine — i. e., that we are to be praised for doing 
this, or blamed for doing that ; that we are free, and 
must choose or refuse. This is the plaster that they put 
upon the loathsome cancer that is eating the life out of 
the church of God ; that is paralyzing all our efforts, and, 
without doubt, sending thousands of souls to perdition, 
who have vainly waited for God to do what he has told 
them to do. 

After leaving Bedford, my brother and I parted for a 
season — lie to go over into Charlotte, and I into Pittsyl- 
vania county, on the border of North Carolina. I 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 101 

stopped and held a meeting in the neighborhood of the 
Terrills and Dejarnettes. People came to this meeting a 
great distance, and from every direction. We had, as 
we used to say, a great awakening, or a great outpour- 
ing of the Holy Ghost. Our language would have been 
more scriptural, if we had said that we witnessed a 
great manifestation of the Spirit; for, certainly, the 
Spirit did manifest itself at that meeting. I believe 
that I manifested the Spirit in preaching; that the saints 
prayed, praised and rejoiced, in the manifestation of the 
Spirit; and that the Spirit converted many souls at that 
meeting, through the gospel, which is the power of God 
to salvation unto every one that believeth. 

After closing this meeting, I rejoined my brother at 
the Red House, in Charlotte, where my uncle William- 
son resided, of whom I have spoken. This was the old 
homestead of my people. My people used to attend the 
old Rough Creek Church, which stood not far from 
this place, where, in my infancy, I was christened by 
Bishop Asbury, after the fashion of the Methodist 
Church. The people of this section were mostly either 
Methodists or O'Kelleyites. These O'Kelleyites were a 
very liberal people, and in full sympathy with us. 
O'Kelley broke off from Coke and Asbury, in the be- 
ginning of the present century, and traveled extensively 
with Rice Haggard and Joseph Thomas, the White 
Pilgrim, all of them preaching the same views, in the 
main, with Barton W. Stone. I do not remember that 
O'Kelley ever visited the West; but Haggard and 
Thomas did. Haggard first suggested to Stone the 
propriety of wearing the name Christian, as that given 
by divine authority to the disciples at Antioch. 



102 Autobiography of 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

Meeting at Charlotte Court-House. — Clopton and Alexander Camp- 
bell.— Conflicting views about Alexander Campbell in Virginia. — 
Meeting at Fredericksburg.— Brother Fife.— Visit to Washington's 
tomb. — Baltimore and Harford county. — Judge Norris and wife. — 
A model family.— "Reflections on Female Education. — The Creed 
question. — Salem and Hanoverton, Ohio. — John Secrist and John 
Whitacre. — Home again.— Reflections on the support of preachers. 

At Charlotte Court-house, we were kindly received by 
our kinsman, John Roach, and by a Brother Clopton. 
These men were Baptist preachers of considerable influ- 
ence, and of advanced religious views. They had begun 
to see men as trees walking. Our meeting here lasted 
for two weeks, and many professed faith in Jesus. There 
was evidently a hungering and thirsting after the bread 
and water of life among the people. We might have 
organized a church here, but our Baptist brethren held 
such liberal views of Christianity that we thought proper 
to advise all our converts to join them. This turned out 
very well ; for in a very short time they all, with a few 
exceptions, came into the Reformation. 

Brother Clopton informed me that he had met Alex- 
ander Campbell, and was delighted with him. As a 
scholar and gentleman, he esteemed him to be equal, if 
not superior, to any man he had ever met. He gave us 
a glowing account of his efforts in Spottsylvania county, 
in Fredericksburg, and in Richmond, among the Bap- 
tists. Yet, he said, there were many of his brethren who 
were shy of him, lest he should lead the people away 
from some of the old Baptist landmarks. As for him- 
self, he stated that, while he felt himself unable to con- 
trovert his teaching, yet he was evidently striking out 
new lines of religious thought, which might work disas- 
trously to the Baptist cause, without the exercise of much 
wisdom and prudence. He expressed his determination, 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 103 

however, to hear him fully before passing final judgment 
in the premises. My brother and I listened with eager 
interest to everything we could hear about Alexander 
Campbell, for already we had been catching glimpses of 
light sufficient to stimulate our desire for more. My 
brother left me here again, for the purpose of going di- 
rectly through Lynchburg on to Bethany, Brooke county, 
Va., with the intention of spending a few days with 
Brother Campbell, that he might get from his own lips 
what were his views upon certain questions that had re- 
cently disturbed and bewildered his mind. I took my 
route through Fredericksburg, Washington City and 
Pennsylvania. Before leaving Brother Clopton, he kindly 
furnished us with letters of introduction to various Bap- 
tist churches and Baptist preachers along our respective 
routes. 

On my way to Fredericksburg, it was my good for- 
tune to meet several intelligent persons, preachers and 
laymen, who could tell me a great deal that I wanted to 
know about Alexander Campbell. I found their judg- 
ments considerably divided. Some of them endorsed all 
his teaching, and looked upon him as a great apostle of 
truth. Others appeared to be as greatly alarmed as Bel- 
shazzar was when he saw the handwriting on the wall, 
which forboded his doom. Others there were who had 
just light enough to bewilder them, and not enough to 
enable them to form any definite ideas respecting him or 
his teaching. From all I could gather, I was inspired 
with a good degree of hope that he might be the man, 
under God, to dissolve my doubts and fears, and to dissi- 
pate the dark clouds which had so often overcast my 
sky. This I determined to do, whatever might be the 
consequences : I determined to give him a fair and full 
hearing, and, if he had any new light, to follow it un- 
hesitatingly wherever it might lead me. 

At Fredericksburg, I remained and preached several 
days, forming, meanwhile, many acquaintances. Among 
these, I may mention my dear friend and Christian 
brother Fife, a most intelligent and warm-hearted gen- 



104 Autobiography of 

tleman. He was loud in the praise of Brother Camp- 
bell, having heard him preach on several occasions, and 
was better able to give me a full, clear and unbiased ac- 
count of his teaching than any man I had met. I then 
held it as an opinion, from all the premises before me, 
that he was a great teacher, raised up in the providence 
of God to enlighten the world. What was then only an 
opinion has long since ripened into a clear conviction, 
which has never since been changed. This was also the 
conviction of my good Brother Fife at that time. Years 
after this, Brother Fife moved to St. Louis, married the 
widowed mother of Dr. Winthrop H. Hopson, and, as 
an elder and teacher in the city of St. Louis, did much 
to advance our cause. Many years ago I met him, and 
sojourned with him while holding a meeting in St. Louis. 
I found him here the same calm, clear-headed, conscien- 
tious and ..faithful man of God I had taken him to be 
at our first meeting. Well may I say many years ago, 
for, at that meeting, we baptized our converts in Chou- 
teau's Pond, which was then a large and beautiful basin 
of water, but is now covered with some of the proudest 
structures of that city. 

From Fredericksburg, I passed through Dumfries to 
visit the tomb and home of Washington, on the Poto- 
mac. Though I had but little time to spare, I could not 
pass hastily the tomb of America's greatest chieftain and 
statesman. While standing by that tomb, my mind took 
in at a single glance the eventful period of the Revolu- 
tion, when, on account of the weakness of the colonies, 
the division of counsels, and the jealousies of rival in- 
terests, all the noble traits in the character of this great 
chieftain were tried as gold in the fire, and, like gold, 
shone all the brighter for the trial. I thanked God de- 
voutly that the grave I looked upon was not the grave 
of American liberty, but simply the tomb of him whom 
men called the Father of American liberty. These were 
some of the reflections of that silent, solemn hour. 

I have not now the same veneration for great men 
that I then had, however great their achievements. 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 105 

Washington was an instrument in God's hands, and only 
an instrument. God could have used any other instru- 
mentality as well. I am not now willing to say that 
Washington was either the father of American liberty or 
of his country. In this I do not mean to abate one iota 
of his goodness or his greatness. But, looking beyond 
instrumentalities, I count God as the Father of our lib- 
erty and of our country, so far as there is any liberty or 
goodness among us. 

I pursued my journey, by way of Alexandria and 
Washington City, to Bladensburg, where I remained 
several days. I next visited the brethren in Baltimore, 
preaching for them several discourses. We had at that 
time no house of worship worthy the name. If I recol- 
lect rightly, we had a school-house or a sort of academy 
to worship in. Notwithstanding we had a good meeting 
in Baltimore, I left them with some misgivings in regard 
to the future of the little congregation, on account of 
seeds of dissension that had been sown there a little be- 
fore by a corrupt and designing man, who claimed to be 
a pattern of piety, but who was evidently a pattern of 
deceit and treachery. Long since, that trouble has been 
healed, and I am glad to learn that the congregation in 
Baltimore is in a flourishing condition. As my labors 
had been signally blessed in Harford county on the occa- 
sion of a former visit, I determined to visit again that 
field and hold a few meetings. My old friends were 
happy to see me, and were much encouraged and com- 
forted during my stay with them. We had joyful sea- 
sons together. I have strong confidence of meeting 
many of those good people when I get home. 

For several days I sojourned at the house of Judge 
Norris, a real gentleman, whose wife was certainly a 
model of Christianity. I do not remember to have met 
in all my life a more amiable, intelligent and pious 
Christian woman. She appeared to be highly educated 
and refined, using in her ordinary conversation the most 
beautiful language I ever listened to. She was perfectly 
natural and easy in her manner, making every one feel 

5* 



106 Autobiography of 

at home in her presence. But what I noted particularly 
was the fact, that all her children had copied her lan- 
guage and manners completely, and all that were old 
enough had copied her religion too. Who can estimate 
the worth of a refined Christian mother to a family of 
children ? 

I left the bosom of this model family with the firm 
resolve that, if I could do nothing more for my daugh- 
ters, I would give them a liberal education and as thor- 
ough instruction in the way of the Christian life as I 
was capable of doing. I am impressed more and more 
with the importance of proper and thorough female cul- 
ture, as I observe to what extent the mother's influence 
shapes the character of her children. It is not stating it 
in language too strong to say that the world is, in a great 
measure, what the mothers have made it. I would not 
relieve the father from his share of responsibility, but 
the experience of a long life has taught me to look hope- 
fully upon those children who have a pious and intelli- 
gent mother to instruct them ; and to look with distrust 
upon those children whose mothers are wanting in relig- 
ious intelligence and Christian deportment. No matter 
how accomplished, how religious, the father may be; this 
can not compensate for the defects of the mother. If 
either boys or girls must be neglected in their training 
and education, we say, by all means let the boys suffer, 
and not the girls, if we have any care for the welfare of 
future generations. As God has committed to the mother 
the responsible work of molding the character of the 
child, we should spare no pains in qualifying her for the 
faithful discharge of that responsible duty. We should 
remember that the effects of a mother's training and in- 
fluence are not felt alone in the limits of her own house- 
hold, but also far and wide in society, and extend to all 
generations, and into boundless eternity. 

I had a large family of children, about equally divided 
between boys and girls ; and, not being able to give 
them all such an education as I desired, I turned the 
boys out to shift for themselves, but educated my daugh- 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 107 

tors to the utmost of ray ability. This course, by God's 
blessing, turned out well for both boys and girls. If I 
had a thousand families to rear, I think I should act 
upon the principle of doing all I could for the girls, and 
as little as the nature of the case would admit of for the 
boys. Before dismissing this subject, I must be per- 
mitted to enter my protest against that sort of female 
education that pampers the young lady for frivolous em- 
ployments and fashionable life, making her a pleasure- 
seeking butterfly, instead of an angel of mercy. No 
education or training is worth the name, which does 
not prepare the child for the stern realities and serious 
duties of life. I have ever looked upon my sojourn at 
Judge Norris's, in Harford county, as a providential 
circumstance, suggesting to me proper ideas upon the 
subject of female education. 

My next appointment was at Harrisburg, Pa. Very 
little occurred here worthy of note. I fell in at this 
place with a Brother Winebrenner, who informed me that 
he was acquainted w r ith Brother Campbell, and could find 
but little fault with his teaching. This man w T as far 
in advance of most of his brethren, both in religious 
knowledge and Christian liberality. I was surprised to 
hear him say, however, that he thought it would be a 
good thing for every church to have written out a small 
creed, containing simply the essentials of Christianity. 
Though not altogether out of the smoke of the old city, 
I was far in advance of Brother Winebrenner on the creed 
question, and, of course, I took issue with him there. I 
told him I was afraid of these essences. They had di- 
vided the Church of God ; they w r ere the wine of Baby- 
lon that had made the people drunk, and had sent them 
reeling and staggering towards every point of the relig- 
ious compass. He answered, however, that he did not 
want a regular creed, but a few of the essentials written 
out for the purpose of securing uniformity. Again I 
answered him that the principle was what I opposed; 
that, with me, it was not a question of quantity, but of 
quality ; that the small creeds had grown into large ones; 



108 Autobiography of 

that, admitting that the small creed could never be de- 
veloped into the larger one, yet it was equally as poison- 
ous and destructive as the large one to the extent that it 
was received by the Church ; that we wanted no extracts 
of the truth, but the gospel as God had given it. The 
gospel, as God had given it, was the power of God to 
salvation to every one that believeth. 

I argued that, as wheat and corn, as God had given 
them, were the staff of life ; so the word of God, as He 
had given it to men, was the bread and water of life, of 
which we may eat and drink without stint, and find 
spiritual vigor and health. And as the extracts of the 
natural grain, after men have distilled it, are poisonous, 
and w T ill destroy both body and soul in hell ; so, when 
God's word has been put into the theological distilleries 
of men, and the essentials have been extracted, woe to 
the man who imbibes ! As sure as history repeats itself, 
so sure will follow alienation, division, strife, spiritual 
delirium tremens and death. But Brother Winebrenner 
w T as not to be diverted from his course; for, having pre- 
pared his essential articles of faith, he sat down about 
midway between Jerusalem and Babylon, and died. The 
best feature in his creed was the name which he adopted 
for his churcn, i. e., Church of God. 

From Harrisburg I went to Bedford county, where I 
remained two weeks. This was, perhaps, the happiest 
meeting of the campaign. From Bedford I passed into 
Ohio, by way of Pittsburg. At Salem and Hanoverton 
I had pleasant and profitable meetings, and fell into 
company with John Secrist and John Whitacre, men of 
considerable ability, who had embraced the views of 
Brother Campbell as far as they understood them, and 
were making quite a stir among the Quakers, who 
were very numerous in that part of the country. Stop- 
ping a short time at Carlisle, on the Hockhocking, and 
at Williamsport, on Deer Creek, I reached home the lat- 
ter part of August, after an absence of three months. 

Though, as the result of these three months' labors, 
many scores were converted to God, and many hike- 



Elder Samuel Eogers. 109 

warm Christians revived, yet, from all the contributions 
I had received, I had not enough money left, after pay- 
ing expenses, to pay for a pair of boots. This was no 
new experience for us. I never knew more than two or 
three of the preachers in our ranks, at that day, who 
supported themselves by preaching exclusively. Yet no 
class of men ever labored more faithfully or constantly 
than they for the salvation of souls. They claimed to be 
called by the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel, and they 
had confidence that God would see to it that their fami- 
lies should not suffer. Both among our preachers and 
people, there was prevalent a sense of foolish timidity 
upon the matter of taking up contributions of money for 
the ambassador of God, lest the world might conclude 
that he cared more for the fleece than he did for the 
flock. The little that we did receive was collected and 
given to us in a manner so sly and so secret, that the 
giver often appeared more like a felon than like God's 
cheerful giver. And we, who were the recipients of those 
small favors, were ready to jump out of our boots if any- 
one should hear the money jingle in our pockets. Well 
do I remember how I used to receive those small pit- 
tances from my brethren. When a brother or sister, in 
telling you good-bye, took hold of your hand in a clumsy 
sort of way, with their hand half shut and half opened, 
you might look out for a quarter, or a few cut nine- 
pences. -You may imagine that our hands became very 
sensitive to those clumsy touches. I have had money 
slipped into my vest pocket, into my pants pocket, and 
once I found a piece of money in my sack, which had 
been deposited there while I was asleep. All this was 
done that the ministry might not be blamed, and for the 
purpose of keeping that tell-tale left hand in blissful ig- 
norance of what the right hand had done. The people 
were not nearly so scrupulous about giving anything else 
as they were about giving money. They acted as if they 
really thought money was the root of all evil, whose 
very touch would contaminate the fingers of the man of 
God. Some persons may take this to be an attempt at 



110 AUTOBIOGKAPHY OF 

burlesque on my part ; but I am writing the history of 
facts, and have not drawn an extravagant picture of the 
case, by any means. 

I must add that, though we suffered and sacrificed 
much more for the cause we were advocating than our 
children can ever appreciate, yet there was one compen- 
sating feature that is worthy of note. Our families were 
not left to starve in our absence by any means. It is 
true, they did not enjoy the luxuries in which the fami- 
lies of preachers now indulge, but they were supplied by 
the benevolent of the neighborhood with the ordinary 
comforts of life. There was no regular agreement to this 
effect, but, by common consent, it was understood that 
the preacher's family must not suffer w T hile he was pub- 
lishing the gospel to the world without promise of 
earthly gain. The brethren, in sending to the mill, gen- 
erally put in an extra bushel or two of corn, or of wheat, 
for the preacher's family. At hog-killing there was also 
remembrance made of the preacher. At sugar-making 
there was an extra stirring-off for the benefit of the 
preacher. In preparing the web for the loom there was 
often an extra yard or two of linsey put on for this girl 
or that, and the same of jeans for the little boy; so that 
in the long run we got along bravely, considering all the 
circumstances. 



Elder Samuel Rogers. Ill 



CHAPTER XIX. 

A desire to see and hear for himself, — He hears Alexander Campbell 
for himself. — His opinion of him. — Reflections. — Attempt at schism. 
— The church had rest.— Walter Scott. — Aylett Raines. — The Ma- 
honing Association. 

During ray three months' tour through Virginia, Penn- 
sylvania and Ohio, I had learned enough concerning 
the teachings of Alexander Campbell, together with 
what I had gleaned from his debates, and his writings 
in the Christian Baptist, to excite in me a burning de- 
sire to see him, and hear him for myself. From what I 
had heard and read, I believed that he could solve all 
my difficult religious problems. 

You may imagine, therefore, the joy that filled my 
heart, upon the reception of the news, that I should at 
last have the coveted opportunity of seeing and hearing 
Brother Campbell for myself. I believe it was in the 
year 1825 that, in passing through Ohio, he made it in 
his way to visit Wilmington. It was my privilege to 
hear him in a discourse of two hours' length, and I re- 
gretted that he could not continue his discourse for two 
hours more. I believe the whole audience would have 
listened patiently until sunset. As he spoke, cloud after 
cloud rolled away from my mind, letting in upon my 
soul, light and joy and hope, that no tongue can ex- 
press. After the sermon I was invited to accompany 
him to the house of Brother Jacob Strickle, where it 
was my good fortune to have a free and full conversa- 
tion with him, which gave me more light, and afforded 
me more comfort, than any conversation I had ever en- 
joyed. The evening was spent, chiefly, in asking and 
answering questions. At the close of this protracted 
interview, I felt that my fondest desire was satisfied — 
that my most sanguine hopes, in reference to this meet- 
ing, had been more than realized 



112 Autobiography of 

For years I had been tossed upon the billows of 
doubt and perplexity, narrowly escaping, in more than 
one instance, the whirlpool of skepticism, if not infidel- 
ity. But now, thank God, I was resting calmly in the 
harbor of peace* I looked upon him as the sent of God 
to restore the law to Israel. 

Some of my friends asked me what I thought of him, 
now that I had heard him for myself. I told them that 
I looked upon him as the modern Ezra, whom God had 
sent to restore the lost law to his people. And so I yet 
believe. Of course, I do not believe that any man, in 
these latter times, is inspired to speak as Paul and Peter 
were, but I shall die believing that God raised up Alex- 
ander Campbell to accomplish the very work which he 
has done. Indeed, he seemed to be sensible of this very 
fact, for he spoke as one having authority. He did not 
speculate or dogmatize, but he pleaded, with all the 
earnestness and confidence of an inspired man, for 
the restoration of the ancient order of things — for 
Apostolic doctrine and discipline. With facts and docu- 
ments completely overwhelming, he demonstrated the 
fact that the Church had apostatized from primitive faith 
and practice, and that the only remedy left us was, in 
going back to the days of divinely-inspired teachers, 
and in adopting their doctrine and practice as our in- 
fallible guide. He showed that human standards might 
be good, or they might be bad; that human teachers 
might be right or wrong; but that the holy men of God, 
who spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, could 
not by any possibility be wrong; and that, therefore, we 
were absolutely safe in teaching what they taught, and in 
practicing what they practiced. 

Long before I became acquainted with the views of 
Brother Campbell, I had an impression which at times 
amounted to a conviction, that beyond my horizon 
there were fields of truth, clearer and brighter far, than 
any I had ever yet explored. The wish might have 
been in some measure the father of the thought. I did 
certainly sigh, day by day, for a better understanding of 



Eldek Samuel Kogers. 113 

the truth, and could not for a moment admit that God 
had originally intended that his creatures should be sat- 
isfied with anything short of the assurance of faith. 
Yet I did not know how to become the recipient of such 
faith. Guided, mainly, by feelings and impressions 
which were fluctuating and deceptive, I felt that there 
must be some sure guide — some better way ; but how to 
find it, I knew not. 

Though ray ideas were not so exact, yet, I presume, 
they were of the same nature with those of Christopher 
Columbus, who came to the conclusion that there must 
be another continent, because the lands he knew of did 
not complement his ideas of the world which a perfect 
Creator would make. Upon being led to the discovery 
of the gospel in its ancient simplicity and beauty, which 
was the consummation of all my fondest dreams and hopes, 
satisfying all my longings after a better way, I doubt 
not my joy far exceeded that of Columbus and his 
crew, when the land of their dreams first burst upon 
their vision. It has been said, that the times make the 
man; but it is my belief that God sends the man for the 
times. 

I was not alone in waiting and sighing for the day of 
clearer light. Expectation was on tip-toe in thousands 
of hearts, when Alexander made his appearance upon 
the stage, and began to write and speak upon those 
great questions that have since almost revolutionized 
the religious world. 

It will ever be a cherished belief of mine, that Alex- 
ander Campbell's coming to America was by the direc- 
tion of a gracious providence of God. He found here, 
as he could not have found in the old world, a people 
looking, longing, and waiting for him ; or, if not exactly 
for him, they were waiting for that day of religious 
reformation which he was instrumental in bringing 
about. 

Most of the members of Antioch church, where I had 
my membership, now betook themselves to a careful and 
prayerful study of the word of God, such as I had never 



114 Autobiography of 

witnessed before. The result was, that with a few ex- 
ceptions, they were in a short time willing to adopt the 
apostolic order of things, as to church government and 
worship. There were a few brethren who could not see 
their way clear to observe the ordinance of the Lord's 
Supper upon every first day of the week. They, how- 
ever, with a spirit of becoming liberality, were not in- 
clined to put any obstacle in the way of the majority 
who felt it to be their duty to so observe it. We, with 
the same liberal spirit, allowed them the exercise of 
their own choice upon this question. For some time, 
only a portion of the church observed the ordinance of 
the Lord's Supper ; but at the end of a little more than 
a year we were completely organized, as we thought, ac- 
cording to the divine model, and the church, with the 
exception of two or three disaffected spirits, was walking 
in all the ordinances of the Lord, blameless. About 
this time, one Thomas Campbell, who claimed to be 
specially called of God to put down heretics, came 
among us, and by his mad endeavors, aroused the two or 
three discontented ones who had refused to adopt the 
apostolic order with us. The end of it was, that they 
attempted to close the house against us, upon the ground 
that we had departed from our original foundation. 

Campbell was a man of a low order of talents — of 
more than ordinary cunning — had a stentorian voice, 
and an address calculated to inspire awe in the minds of 
the ignorant. Brother William M. Irvin and I, with 
Bible in hand, met this bold intruder, in regard to the 
question of our having departed from the faith, or from 
the original ground upon which we had been consti- 
tuted. We proved that we had originally taken the 
Word of God as our only rule of faith and practice, and 
we challenged him to show wherein we had departed 
from it. We argued that, though our practice was dif- 
ferent from what it was formerly, yet every change 
which we had made only brought us into stricter con- 
formity with the letter of our creed. Our adversaries, 
after making a few feeble attempts to answer us, retired 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 115 

from the field, and thenceforward we had no more 
trouble with them. In former days, I had constituted a 
number of churches in the surrounding country, all of 
which, in a short time, came into the Reformation, with 
the exception of a few individuals whose religion had 
more to do with feeling than faith. Some of these 
abandoned the faith; the rest came into their respective 
churches, so that we had peace in all our borders. 

The Reformation had an easy conquest over all our 
churches, for the reason, that they were right, constitu- 
tionally, i. e., they had taken originally the Bible alone 
for their only rule in faith and practice. It was not 
necessary, therefore, that they should change their 
ground ; but all they needed was a better understanding 
of it. This explains the fact of the early triumph of 
the Reformation in Kentucky, and especially of its hav- 
ing so deep a hold in the Biue Grass Region. Brother 
Stone, and those laboring with him, had constituted 
churches throughout the central and northern portion of 
Kentucky, upon the Bible, and the Bible alone, and all 
these, without exception, came early into the Reforma- 
tion. The very first churches, both in Ohio and Ken- 
tucky, which embraced the views of Brother Campbell, 
were those which had been planted by Brother Stone 
and his fellow-laborers, so that it appears that Stone's 
Reformation was the seed-bed of the Reformation pro- 
duced by Brother Campbell. It is true that the formal 
union in Kentucky, between the friends of Stone and 
Campbell, did not occur until the year 1832 ; but a large 
proportion of the friends of Stone received the teach- 
ings of Brother Campbell almost from the very begin- 
ning of his writings in the Christian Baptist, which 
commenced July 4, 1823. 

In the year 1827, Walter Scott was appointed Evan- 
gelist for the Western Reserve, in the northeastern por- 
tion of Ohio, where his labors were signally blest in 
turning men from darkness to light, and from the power 
of Satan, unto God. He was among the first who had 
immersed believing penitents for the remission of sins. 



116 Autobiography of 

The news of his triumphs having spread over the whole 
country, his work became the subject of comment and 
criticism, in the most distant parts of the State. For a 
time, little else was talked of in the religious circles of 
our part of the country, save the work of Walter Scott, 
the great apostle of the Western Reserve. In the 
Autumn of that year I determined to go into those parts 
where the truth had triumphed so gloriously, for the 
purpose of seeing the men who were engaged in this 
work, and hearing for myself. So, mounting my horse, 
I rode more than two hundred miles, to the town of 
Warren, in Trumbull county, Ohio, where the Mahon- 
ing Association was to be held. (I believe this Associa- 
tion never had another meeting.) There I met Thomas 
Campbell, and his illustrious son, Alexander, Walter 
Scott, Adamson Bentley, Jacob Osborne, A. Raines, Syd- 
ney Rigdon (who afterwards abandoned the faith and join- 
ed the Mormons), besides I know not how many others. 
The meeting was largely attended, and the business 
transacted was of vital importance to the interests of 
primitive Christianity. 

The most important and exciting item of business, 
and one which had much to do in shaping the future 
course of our churches upon questions of Christian fel- 
lowship, was the reception of Brother Raines into com- 
munion. He had been a great light among the Restora- 
tionists — had traveled extensively among them, con- 
firming them, and reviving their drooping cause in many 
parts of the country. They looked upon him as the great 
champion of their cause. Having been thrown into the 
field of Scott's labors, he took occasion to hear him, and 
being so well pleased, he heard him again, and I know 
not how often. Being a clear-headed and conscientious 
listener, he was not long in coming to the conclusion, that 
upon the subject of conversion, Scott's preaching was in 
complete harmony with the teaching of Scripture. So, in 
a short time, he presented himself for baptism, and im- 
mediately after his own immersion, he went among his 
brethren, baptizing many of them for the remission of 



Elder Samuel Rogees. 117 

their sins. He also united with Scott, and others, aid- 
ing them in their meetings, and giving abundant proof 
of his ability, faithfulness and efficiency, as a proclaimer 
of the gospel. Notwithstanding this, he still held, as an 
opinion, his old speculation upon the subject of Resto- 
ration. He attended the meeting at Warren, where he 
was cordially welcomed by most of the brethren, and es- 
pecially by Scott and Elder Thomas Campbell, who had 
been laboring with him heretofore. Brother Osborne, 
having discovered him in the congregation, raised the 
question of receiving him into fellowship, and inviting 
him to participate in the deliberations of the Associa- 
tion. Some favored his being received, while others 
thought the motion premature. After the subject had 
been discussed on both sides, at some length, Elder 
Thomas Campbell arose and addressed the Association, 
in favor of Brother Raines's reception into fellowship. 

I have regretted ever since, that an exact copy of his 
speech had not been preserved. In my opinion, that 
speech sounded the key-note upon the subject of Chris- 
tian union and communion. 

He contended that they might as well exclude him as 
Brother Raines ; because he had spent the prime of his 
life in preaching the doctrine of Calvinism, and, though 
he did not now preach it, yet, philosophically, he was 
still a Calvinist, holding his speculations upon this sub- 
ject as private property, just as Brother Raines holds 
his speculations upon the subject of the final restoration 
of all men to the favor of God. He drew the distinc- 
tion between the matters of faith, which are enjoined 
upon all in order to the enjoyment of Christian fellow- 
ship, and those opinions or speculations which are our 
private property. I regret that I can not recall his 
main arguments and illustrations, and the exact language 
that he used; but I distinctly remember that I left that 
Association with the impression that the speech of 
Thomas Campbell was of more practical value to me, 
than all I had heard at the Association beside. I must 
not omit to state, that he added, in the conclusion of his 



118 Autobiography of 

speech, that he had no hope of ever getting entirely- 
clear of his Calvinistic speculations, unless it should be 
by the slow process of perspiration ; for, said he, if I 
should attempt to vomit them up all at once, they would 
choke me. 

It was finally agreed by the Association, that we have 
nothing to do with the opinions of men — that they are 
private property, and as long as they are held as such, 
are not a bar to fellowship. On this ground Brother 
Raines was received, and invited to take part in the de- 
liberations of the Association. This was a bold step for 
the times; but certainly it was a safe and correct one. 
On that ground, and on that alone, can we ever hope to 
see the Christian world united. Men can never agree 
on opinions — they have no binding authority, and 
should not have. But in matters of faith, tens of thou- 
sands have been united, and millions more may be. All 
that is needed for the accomplishment of this end, is a 
high regard for the plain teachings of God's Word. On 
matters of faith, there would be but one mind and one 
voice, to-day, but for the fact that men have made void 
the Word of God by their traditions. Of course, so 
long as men cling to tradition, and boldly set at defiance 
God's holy Word, there can be no hope of union. But 
if the day should ever come, when the whole Christian 
world shall hold God's Word in greater reverence than 
they do human traditions and speculations, then the 
whole Christian world will be one. I may be charged 
with a want of Christian charity ; but I shall die in the 
opinion, that nothing but a criminal contempt for God's 
Word is at the bottom of all our divisions. I may have 
attached undue importance to the case of Brother 
Raines, but to my mind nothing more important to the 
interests of Christianity has occurred, since the great 
apostasy. From the days of the apostasy, until the 
present day, opinions have been held with as much te- 
nacity as matters of faith. Indeed, in many instances, 
the plainest teachings of God's Word have been treated 
as things indifferent, while mere human deductions have 



Elder Samuel Rogebs. 119 

been set up as sacred standards of Christian fellowship. 

Standing only second in importance to this case, was 
that of the six men who wrote the last Will and Testa- 
ment of the Springfield Presbytery, in the year 1804. 
These great men proposed a union with all Christians 
upon the Bible alone, as the rule of faith and practice. 
But for want of the distinction between faith and opin- 
ion, which the two Campbells made upon the occasion 
of the reception of Brother Raines, they were em- 
barrassed, and were not able to carry out practically the 
principles which they had adopted. The consequence 
was, that instead of contending earnestly for the faith, 
they often contended only for opinion, and neglected the 
matter of faith. For instance, they were often more 
zealous in attempting to enforce their opinions in regard 
to the mode of the Divine existence, than they were to 
enjoin it upon all as a duty to be baptized. They were 
sometimes more tolerant towards the unbaptized pro- 
fessor than they were towards the man who, in popular 
parlance, was a trinitarian. They committed two errors. 
The first was, in their zealous attempts to propagate mere 
opinions; and the second, in their violent contentions 
against the opinions of others. Had they contended 
only for the faith once delivered to the saints, and paid 
less attention to speculations, the faith would have tri- 
umphed, and these conflicting opinions of men would 
have died of being let alone. By letting opinions and 
philosophical speculations alone, men are apt to lose all 
interest in them, as in the case of Bro. Raines. And 
they will also forget the arguments by w r hich they at- 
tempted to support them. 

After Brother Raines had been received into fellow- 
ship, I sought and obtained an interview with him, 
which impressed me so favorably, that I invited him to 
visit us in Clinton county at his earliest convenience. 
Before w r e separated he accepted my invitation, stating 
that he had long desired to visit our part of the coun- 
try, and now that he was instructed in the way of the 
Lord more perfectly, it would afford him great pleasure 



120 Autobiography of 

to do so. He was not slow in fulfilling his promise ; for 
in a few weeks his voice was raised in our midst, in 
advocacy of ancient Apostolic Christianity. At first 
some of the old brethren and sisters were a little shy of 
him, not only on account of his having been so recently 
a preacher among the Restorationists, but because he 
came among us wearing green spectacles — a thing that 
was made odious because, a short time before, a vile pre- 
tender had been among us wearing green glasses. His 
first meeting was largely attended, some coming out of 
mere curiosity, some to find fault, and others simply to 
hear the truth. 

Before he had proceeded a half hour in his discourse, 
any one could see that the whole house was completely 
captivated. They were leaning forward, and some al- 
most upon their feet, in their eager endeavor to catch 
every word that fell from his lips. 

He was a young man of medium hight, standing very 
erect, with a clear, penetrating gray eye, and an unim- 
passioned face. But in the midst of his discourse, he 
seemed to be a head and shoulders taller than other men ; 
and that face, before so calm and unimpassioned, was 
now in every lineament and feature, wonderfully expres- 
sive of holy indignation, or divine beneficence, accord- 
ing to the sentiment of his subject. When treating of 
the love of God, his soul seemed to melt within him, 
and his whole nature seemed to be completely subdued. 
But when exposing sin, his entire being was fired with 
holy indignation. 

At his first meeting several persons made the confes- 
sion and were baptized, and among the number was my 
eldest daughter, who afterwards became the wife of 
Elder James Vandevort, a faithful servant of God, who 
lived and died an ornament to the Church of Christ, 
whose praise was among all that knew him. Soon after 
this meeting our brethren held a consultation meeting, 
which resulted in the employment of Brother Raines as 
county Evangelist; and well and faithfully did he per- 
form the work assigned him. Wherever he went, he 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 121 

planted the standard of the apostolic gospel, and de- 
fended it with the courage of a hero, carrying dismay 
into the camps of the enemy, which almost completely 
demoralized all opposing forces. He spent much of his 
leisure time at my house, and, as my wife used to say, 
gave the family less trouble than any preacher she had 
ever attempted to entertain. I am inclined to think 
that he was partial to my house, because my wife under- 
stood better than most women the kind of entertain- 
ment a young preacher ought to have. Most persons 
feel that when a preacher is about the house, he must 
not be allowed to stay alone for a single moment, but 
must be either kept busy talking or listening, from 
morning to night ; whereas nothing is so agreeable to the 
preacher as being left alone, especially if he should be 
aj great a student and as fond of his books as brother 
Raines was. 

I would not convey the idea that Brother Raines was 
either grim or tactiturn. On the contrary, he was really 
fond of conversation when the subject was one of any 
interest, and but few men were more gifted in conversa- 
tion than he, when the theme or the subject inspired 
him. He had no taste, however, for frivolous or light 
conversation, and studiously avoided the company of 
young ladies. In all my acquaintance with men, I have 
never know r n a more modest and prudent young preacher 
than Aylett Raines was. He was, in all his intercourse 
with society, without reproach and above suspicion. 

He used to say, that when ready to marry, he would 
make a business of it, and search until he found a Chris- 
tian woman who would make a w T ife suitable for a 
preacher, and if they could agree upon the terms, he would 
marry without much courting, and without ceremony or 
parade. In due time he accomplished his object, and in 
the manner proposed. Having become acquainted with 
the daughter of William Cole, an eminent lawyer of 
Wilmington, Ohio, he married her, and a better selec- 
tion of a woman for a preacher's wife could not have 
been made. I knew her when she was a girl, and have 



122 Autobiography of 

known her well as the wife of Brother Raines; and take 
pleasure in saying that she was true to her Saviour, 
faithful to the best interests of her family, practical in 
her domestic affairs, and, taken all in all, was such a 
woman as few preachers have either the good sense or 
the good fortune to find. 

During the labors of Brother Raines in Clinton, he 
received two or three challenges for debate; but I think 
among all his adversaries, but one ever met him, and he 
became so completely demoralized after the first round, 
that he left the field in a most ridiculous and disgrace- 
ful manner. Raines was a moral hero — a soldier of no 
mean metal, ever ready to hurl the arrows of truth with 
fierceness and unerring precision against the citadel of 
his Master's foes. Yet he was a dignified and polite 
antagonist, never condescending to use vulgar means to 
obtain the victory over his adversary. 

After his marriage, it was not long before he moved 
to Paris, Kentucky, since which time his name, as a 
sound and able expounder of God's Word, has stood at 
the head of the list of gospel preachers in this Reforma- 
tion. I will conclude by saying, that he had few r er 
foibles, and more strong points, as a gospel preacher, 
than one out of a hundred of the pioneer preachers of 
the Reformation. I shall soon go home, and shall ex- 
pect to see among the first comers, at the gate, my dear 
brother Aylett; and when we have shaken hands, we 
will sit down together and talk over the toils and the 
victories of the olden times. 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 123 



CHAPTER XX. 

Our worship then and now. — The contrast. — In bondage. — Sighing 
for freedom. — The bait of the enslaver. — Had the right creed. — 
Our advantage. — Rebaptism. 

In those days we were emphatically a Bible people. The 
Scriptures were our daily study ; we attempted to do noth- 
ing, either as a church or as individuals, without the divine 
warrant. As we were assembled together to worship on 
the Lord's day, we resembled more a school of children, 
with text-books in hand, than a modern congregation of 
worshipers. In fact, between the religious worship of 
that day and this, there appears to me to be almost no 
resemblance at all. We occupied the time then chiefly 
in reading and expounding the Scriptures, and in the 
breaking of the loaf. Now the sermon is the main 
source of attraction; and, in too many instances, that is 
but a string of sickly sentiments, poorly calculated to 
impart vigor to the soul, or to edify the body of Christ. 
We then delighted in the law of the Lord ; now, we de- 
light in the eloquence of the preacher. Then the chief 
object of our worship was to please God ; now, it is to 
please the multitude. 

When I speak of these things, I am told that the 
times change, and we must keep up with the times ; that 
such old-time service would drive the people away, and 
leave us nothing but empty pews. I answer, that it 
would be better to have a few empty pews than to have 
the pews filled with so many empty heads and hearts. 
We had better fall behind the times than to go beyond 
the bounds of Apostolic doctrine. I am now, and have 
always been, afraid to follow the times, lest they lead me 
clear out of sight of Christ and* the Apostles. I had 
rather have a few hearers and Jesus in the midst, than to 
have ever so many hearers, and be without Him. 



124 Autobiography of 

Having been in the bondage of Egypt, and having 
felt the scorpion lash of sectarianism, I know, as those 
who were free-born can never know, how sweet a thing 
it is to enjoy the light and liberty of the gospel of truth, 
both as to faith and practice. Our children think us in 
our dotage, and that we see ghosts and hobgoblins where 
no real danger exists. But I know what I am talking 
about, and would warn them against any, even the slight- 
est, departure from the plain teaching of the word of 
God. I am willing to be liberal, and will be as far as it 
is lawful ; but I must not be liberal at the expense of 
the truth. We may be as liberal as we please with our . 
own things, such as our opinions and speculations, for 
they are private property ; but let us be careful how we 
touch the Ark of God. When the devil wants to make 
us slaves, he baits his traps with sentiments of extreme 
liberality and a show of all-abounding love. When he 
wants to enslave men, he is not so silly as to let them see 
the prisons he has prepared, or the chains he has forged 
for them. When he comes to us with purposes of hate, 
he often covers himself with a cloak of charity, and 
many are weak enough to take the bait, and lose their 
liberty forever. We must remember that divine pre- 
cepts and practices can not be set aside for any consider- 
ation. God's word must be the measure of our charity, 
our liberality, of everything pertaining to doctrine or 
practice. " When it speaks, we may speak ; when it is 
silent, we must be silent." 

It may be of some benefit to others for me to give in 
this connection a brief chapter of my own experience. 
For many years before the Reformation day, I had taken 
my Bible as my only guide in all religious matters. I 
read it as constantly and as prayerfully as I have ever 
done since ; my desire to know the truth was as sincere 
then as it ever was ; yet I did not come to a proper 
knowledge of it, with all my endeavors. Seeing that I had 
then the same Bible open before me which I have now, 
I am astonished that I did not sooner come into the 
light of its teachings. I can only account for this fact 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 125 

upon the ground that my mind was preoccupied with cer- 
tain mystical and deluding notions, the correctness of 
which I never thought of doubting or questioning, as 
they had the sanction ot all the pious with whom I held 
intercourse. It is true that I was troubled with doubts, 
and often felt there was a wrong somewhere, and was, 
by no means, satisfied with my religious situation. I was 
earnestly and hopefully looking for light; but I was not 
looking for it in the right direction, nor did I suppose 
for a moment that it would dissipate my errors if I 
should come to the light, for I did not allow myself to 
think that I had any errors. I knew that I was ignorant, 
and did not fully understand the Scriptures; for I saw 
that my views were not in harmony with their literal 
meaning. But I supposed that this want of harmony 
between my views and those apparently conflicting 
Scriptures, was owing to the fact that I had not appre- 
hended the true meaning of those Scriptures, and not 
that I was holding false views of Christianity. I was 
expecting such light upon the Bible as would bring it 
into harmony with my mystical and erroneous views, and 
not a light that would dissipate them altogether. Like 
many others, I failed, because I was always trying to 
bring the Bible to my theory, instead of trying to square 
my theory with the Bible. It never occurred to me that 
I o light to read the book of God to learn the truth for 
the truth's sake. All this may sound strange to one who 
has never been bewildered in the smoky precincts of 
Babylon; but I do not exaggerate the truth when I say 
that we never thought of testing our theories by the 
Word of God. It is true that we tried to prove them by 
the Bible for the sake of those who heard us, but not to 
confirm our own faith. 

We always gave our theories the benefit of every 
doubt. For instance, I believed that the happy feel- 
ings I once enjoyed were the highest evidence of my 
acceptance with God; but when I read the following: 
" He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;" 
H Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name 



126 Autobiography of 

of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall 
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit;" the only impres- 
sion made upon my mind was that I did not understand 
those Scriptures, or they would harmonize with my relig- 
ious experience ; or I might turn to the Scriptures in 
the third chapter of John and read : " The wind bloweth 
where it listeth," and, wrapping myself in that mantle 
of mystery, retire to rest. So God's truth, sinking into 
my error, was neutralized, and subsided. 

When I undertook to preach, I selected my subject, 
or theme — we were theme-preachers in those days — 
and went to the Bible to find proper texts and illustra- 
tions. If my subject was Grace, Gospel, or Love, I 
quoted the Scriptures that contained these respective 
terms, and then launched forth upon the subject accord- 
ing to my own experience or theory. Perhaps, after 
speaking in general terms of the grace of God, or the 
love of God, I would occupy my time in giving an ac- 
count of my own conversion, or of the conversion of 
some one else, setting up human models, instead of the 
divine ones which were before my eyes. I never dreamed 
of giving a scriptural definition of the gospel, for I did 
not know that such a definition could be found between 
the lids of the Bible. I did not know the meaning of 
grace, or faith, or how either grace or faith came. We 
were not encouraged to learn the truth. If anyone 
should ask, Why? What? How? he was reproved for 
attempting to pry into the deep things of God. O, what 
slaves we were to superstition ! We were slaves to our 
religious experiences. Of all the things in the world of 
which we felt most certain, the experience of pardon at 
the mourners' bench, or somewhere else, was that thing. 
For a thing of absolute certainty, we were willing to put 
our feelings against the world. 

AVith all our errors, however, we were far in advance 
of our religious neighbors, and had this decided advan- 
tage, that, from the beginning, we had taken as our creed 
the Bible alone. As Paul, at Athens, had only to declare 
the God whom the people ignorantly worshiped, without 



Elder Samuel Sogers. 127 

exciting any undue prejudices or opposition; so, when 
Brother Campbell took up the Bible, and unfolded its 
truths with such power and simplicity, many of us, with 
a ready mind, received his teachings and rejoiced in the 
light. In our case it was only advancing on our own 
ground to follow the light of his instruction. The Re- 
formation was the legitimate issue of our creed. It was 
far different with those who had adopted human creeds. 
Reformation was all that we needed. Revolution was 
what they needed. In other words, reformation in our 
case was revolution in theirs; hence, but few of them 
came into the light and liberty of Apostolic doctrine. 

Most of my old brethren, in coming into the Reforma- 
tion, differed from me in one particular. They were 
quite satisfied with their baptism; I was not satisfied. I 
heard with a disquiet conscience the command, "Be 
baptized for the remission of sins." It was urged by my 
brethren that the highest and purest motive had actuated 
me in my baptism ; that is, a desire out of a pure heart 
to obey God ; that it would be unreasonable to believe 
that, because His loving children did not understand 
all that was in store for them in their obedience, there- 
fore, He would withhold any good thing from them. 
They argued that no earthly parent would be so hard 
with his child as to withhold what he had promised 
upon condition of obedience, on the ground that the 
child did not understand the nature and full meaning 
of what had been promised. I was not, however, satis- 
fied with this sort of reasoning; first, because it was a 
false mode of reasoning — because we can not, by first 
finding out what man would do under certain circum- 
stances, take that as a basis for what God would do. In 
the next place, I insisted that I had not obeyed the 
command, u Be baptized for the remission of sins." I 
had tried to get remission in some other way, and had 
then been baptized. I had, therefore, only half-way 
obeyed the command. I had been baptized, but my faith 
was defective. God had said plainly, " I give remission 
of sins;" but by my act I had said, " I do not want par- 



128 Autobiography of 

don in baptism ; I found that long ago, at the mourners' 
bench, or by agonizing in the lone woods." 

" Well, then," said my friends, " are you willing to 
say that, in your baptism, God did not perform his 
promise in your case, and that, hence, you are an unpar- 
doned man?" 

I answered that I had nothing to do with that ques- 
tion, but this one thing I knew I had not done : I had 
not fulfilled all righteousness before the world in declar- 
ing in baptism that, to the believing penitent, God, for 
Christ's sake, does forgive sins. And thus ended the 
argument. 

In a few days after this, I settled the question by be- 
ing baptized for the remission of sins, and since then my 
conscience has been at rest. And I now believe I did 
right, though I do not fall out with those who believe 
differently. To my mind, an unintelligent baptism is 
little better than no baptism at all. I have given this 
subject much study, and the more I think of it, the less 
I am inclined to take anything for baptism except an in- 
telligent submission to the institution, both in manner 
and design. Christian baptism is not simply an act, else 
an immersed infidel could claim the blessing of remis- 
sion. Faith must precede it, all admit. But are the 
antecedents more important to make it baptism than its 
consequents? Certainly not. Scriptural baptism is 
immersion, with its antecedents and consequents. I 
claim that the antecedents are defective, necessarily, if 
they do not embrace the consequents. There can be no 
intelligent faith that does not embrace the promises con- 
nected with any act of obedience which we are required 
to perform. 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 129 



CHAPTER XXL 

Brother Campbell misunderstood.— Compelled to seek a new home in 
the West.— Stars falling, description of. — The journey. — The safe 
arrival. 

The war waged by Brother Campbell upon the kingdom 
of the clergy, which, in the beginning of the current 
Reformation, was carried on with such telling power, 
was greatly misunderstood by friends and foes. In his 
earnest efforts to correct prevailing abuses, for which a 
venal clergy were largely responsible, should we admit 
that some of his utterances were extreme, and suscep- 
tible of misconstruction, we would only admit what has 
been true of all great and good men who have under- 
taken to reform a corrupt church. It is perfectly 
natural that the greater the effort to draw men from ex- 
tremes of one sort, the more imminent the danger of 
falling into extremes of an opposite character. How- 
ever much we may differ concerning the meaning of 
Brother Campbell's teaching upon the subject, it is clear 
that he did not intend to put an end to preaching, or to 
encourage a penurious people in " muzzling the ox that 
treadeth out the corn ; " for he taught, emphatically, that 
" the laborer is worthy of his hire/' and that " the Lord 
loves a cheerful giver," and that " those who preach the 
gospel should live of the gospel." There can be no 
doubt that he aimed at nothing short of the annihila- 
tion of the proud and mercenary priesthood that claimed 
the right to " lord it over God's heritage" — "to care 
more for the fleece than the flock" — "to open and shut 
the kingdom of heaven at pleasure;" all because they 
belonged to that exclusive class called the clergy. Be- 
sides, it is equally clear that he believed every well or- 
ganized congregation should be able to edify itself; that 
its elders should be capable of feeding the flock of God, 
over whom the Lord had made them overseers ; that 

6* 



130 Autobiography of 

every man, to the extent of his ability, should preach, 
teach and exhort ; not because he belonged to a distinct 
class like the clergy, but because of his being a disciple 
of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Unfortunately, there were some who, desiring an ex- 
cuse for their avarice, seized upon and tortured some of 
the sayings of the great Reformer, so as to find justifi- 
cation in their withholding of support from the faithful 
minister of the gospel, who, having forsaken all, had 
gone forth to preach to a perishing world the unsearch- 
able riches of Christ. 

Preaching had never been a profitable business to me, 
pecuniarily; but it had now become, I may say fairly, a 
starving business. The result was not altogether from 
the cause alluded to above, but was, no doubt, partly 
brought about by the revolutionary effects of the Refor- 
mation. Many churches which, before I preached this 
apostolic doctrine, were friendly to me, and ready to 
lend me a helping hand, now turned from me ; while 
others were so engaged with their home troubles, and so 
discouraged, that they were powerless to do anything to- 
wards sending the gospel to the world — or, at least, 
they felt themselves so to be. So, from these causes, I 
was compelled, for a time, to draw my support chiefly 
from secular employments, notwithstanding it was con- 
trary to my wishes. I applied myself very closely to 
my business, for a short time, preaching only on the 
Lord's day; but my soul was not satisfied. 

Having received the ancient and apostolic doctrine in 
its fullness and simplicity, it was to me a pleasure to 
preach it. The story was plain and easy to tell ; there 
was nothing to do but open my Bible and let it tell to a 
perishing world the way of salvation. It was not neces- 
sary, as it was of old, to warp or twist a single word or 
sentence, to make it harmonize with my religious theory. 
Now, my theory was, of necessity, in complete harmony 
with my text ; I having adopted. the faith that the Bible, 
in its plainest and most obvious meaning, is the Chris- 
tian's sole guide — feelings, impulses, dreams and vague 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 131 

impressions, all being counted as naught. Having been 
a religious enthusiast by nature, as well as by practice, 
it was not an easy matter for me to hold my breath for 
six days out of the week, having the old gospel at my 
tongue's end, and a breast panting for the salvation of 
souls and the enlightenment of my friends who had not 
yet received the ancient gospel, while the richest harvest 
that ever waved before husbandman was now all ripe 
for the sickle, waiting to be gathered in. I imagine 
that Saul of Tarsus w r as not more ardent and zealous 
in disposition than I was ; and that after he saw the true 
light, he was not more anxious to convert his brethren, 
and by faithful service, redeem the time, than I ; yet I was 
bound fast in the stocks. My supplies having been cut 
off — my family more needful of my attention than ever 
before — what was I to do ? This question became the 
subject of my most earnest prayers. No man ever toiled, 
day after day, under greater embarrassment, than I did, 
for more than a year. The physical exertion demanded, 
was nothing. I was willing to work in the field ; to 
work in the shop ; to work anywhere, if I might only be 
relieved of the weight of responsibility that seemed to 
rest upon me on account of being hindered from gather- 
ing in the ripe harvest that was waving before me. In 
all my life I had not, in the same length of time, had so 
many and such urgent calls to preach the gospel, nor had 
I ever before felt one- half so competent to do good. 
There was not a lingering doubt in my mind but that I 
had tiie apostolic gospel, the whole gospel, and nothing 
but the gospel — the power of God for salvation to 
every one that believed it. With this assurance, how 
could I be contented with anything short of devoting 
my whole time to telling abroad the glad tidings? At 
length I determined to get out of the old ruts — to 
change my location — to go further West, if, happily, the 
Lord might open to me a more effectual door. My pur- 
pose was to obtain more land, and, by the aid ol my 
boys, who were getting large enough to work on a farm, 
make a living for my family without devoting so much 



132 Autobiography of 

of my time to secular employments. I trusted that I 
might be, in the end, so fortunate as to be able to de- 
vote my whole time to the work of the Lord. At any 
rate, I felt that I could scarcely do worse than I was 
then doing, and the chances were favorable for doing 
better. The thought of this gave me relief. 

Accordingly, in the year 1833, and in the early 
Autumn of that year, I visited the middle portion of 
the State of Indiana, in company with my old and tried 
friend and brother, Joseph Rulon. Attracted by the 
beauty of the country, and its fertility, as well as by the 
fact that some friends and brethren had already settled 
there, we located in the western portion of Henry 
county, on the waters of Fall Creek. Brother Rulon, 
having considerable means, bought a fine farm, tolerably 
well improved for that day; but as my means were quite 
limited, the best that I could do was to buy two hun- 
dred acres of Government land, at one dollar and 
twenty-five cents per acre. This land was very fertile 
and well watered, but it was covered with a heavy 
growth of timber, which made it a laborious business to 
prepare it for the plow. Our purchases made, we re- 
turned home early in the month of October. I at once 
sold my little farm in the neighborhood of Antioch, and, 
having disposed of what stock and stuff I could not 
take with me, on the 13th of November, 1833, I was 
ready to start upon the journey for our new home in the 
West. 

Nothing short of a firm conviction of duty could have 
induced me to make the sacrifices I made in leaving this 
memorable field of my early labors, where I might num- 
ber hundreds of firmest friends, who, by a thousand ties, 
were bound to me — ties never to be broken. I look 
back through the dim years to that day of tears and 
farewells with feelings of mingled joy and sadness. I 
had been an instrument of much blessing to that people, 
and they looked upon me as their father in the gospel, 
which I really was. I had found them a people without 
God and without hope, except one here and there among 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 133 

them. From the beginning to the end the Lord had, in 
a remarkable measure, blessed my humble labors. My 
home church, Antioch, was a large and spiritually-minded 
church, exerting a powerful influence upon the surround- 
ing country ; but, when I first came into their midst, a 
child could number all of the professors of religion in 
the country. There was not a highway or a by-path 
that I had not traversed, in all the country, on missions, 
either of joy or sadness. I had baptized the people ; 
had married their children ; had comforted their dying 
hours; had preached their funerals; or, I would rather 
say, had preached their resurrection — for I never be- 
lieved in funerals — they are a relic of popery ; but I do 
believe in preaching the resurrection. I repeat, that 
nothing but a sense of duty to my Lord, whom I de- 
light to honor, could have induced me to leave those 
hallowed grounds. 

On the evening of the twelfth, many of our dear 
friends came in to bid us adieu, and they remained until 
a very late hour, when, after a prayer, the most of them 
returned to their homes — a few remaining to see us off 
in the morning. 

We had but little rest that night, for, before three 
o'clock in the morning, we were all aroused from our 
slumbers, making preparation for an early start. Some 
one, on looking out of the window, observed that it was 
almost broad daylight. " That can not be," another an- 
swered, "For it is scarcely three o'clock." "I can't 
help what the clock says," replied the first speaker, 
" my eyes can not deceive me ; it is almost broad day- 
light — look for yourselves." After this little alterca- 
cation, some one went to the door for the purpose of 
settling the question. Fortunately, there was not a 
cloud in the heavens ; so by a glance, all was settled. I 
heard one of the children cry out, in a voice expressive 
of alarm : " Come to the door, father, the world is surely 
coming to an end." Another exclaimed: "See! the 
whole heavens are on fire! all the stars are falling!" 
These cries brought us all into the open yard, to gaze 



134 Autobiography of 

upon the grandest and most beautiful scene my eyes 
have ever beheld. It did appear as if every star had 
left its moorings, and was drifting rapidly in a westerly 
direction, leaving behind a track of light which re- 
mained visible for several seconds. Some of those 
wandering stars seemed as large as the full moon, or 
nearly so, and in some cases they appeared to dash at a 
rapid rate across the general course of the main body of 
meteors, leaving in their track a bluish light, which 
gathered into a thin cloud not unlike a puff of smoke 
from a tobacco-pipe. Some of the meteors were so 
bright that they were visible for some time after day 
had fairly dawned. Imagine large snowflakes drifting 
over your head, so near you that you can distinguish 
them, one from the other, and yet so thick in the air as 
to almost obscure the sky ; then imagine each snowflake 
to be a meteor, leaving behind it a tail like a little 
comet ; these meteors ot all sizes, from that of a drop 
of water to that of a great star, having the size of the 
full moon in appearance: and you may then have some 
faint idea of this wonderful scene. 

It must be remembered that, in the Western States, at 
that day, there was not much knowledge among the 
masses upon the subject of meteorology. ■ Not one in a 
thousand could give any rational account of this won- 
derful phenomenon ; so it will not appear strange that 
there was widespread alarm at this " star-shooting," so 
called. Some really thought that the Judgment Day was 
at hand, and they fell upon their knees in penitence, 
confessing all the sins of their past lives, and calling 
upon God to have mercy. On our journey we heard 
little talked of but the " falling of the stars." All sorts 
of conjectures were made by all sorts of people, except- 
ing there were but few, if any, wise conjectures, and 
very few wise people to make them along the way we 
traveled. Not a few thought it an evidence of God's 
displeasure, and believed that fearful calamities would 
probably speedily follow. There were those who believed 
the Judgment Day was near at hand, and undertook to 



Elder Samuel Eogeks. 135 

prove out of the Scriptures that this was one of the 
signs of the coming of the Son of Man. One old lady 
was emphatic in the statement that it was certainly a 
" token of some sign." Statements made even by good- 
meaning people were often quite erroneous. Some men 
declared that they saw great balls of fire fall into the 
water, and heard the sizzling noise, like that made when 
a red-hot iron is thrown into a slake-tub. Others thought 
they saw these great balls of fire bursting among the 
tree-tops. We may learn from this that, when men are 
in a high state of excitement, their testimony must be 
taken with many grains of allowance. I heard of a few 
who professed religion under the influence of these 
lights. In that day, for the sinner under conviction to 
be able to say that he had seen a light, whether he had 
heard a voice or not, furnished a ready passport into al- 
most any church in the land. I suppose the reformation 
produced by these meteors was like the appearance of the 
meteors themselves — of very short duration. I have 
no faith in any repentance grounded upon objects of 
sense. The gospel only is the power of Gocl unto sal- 
vation. Love to God and hatred for sin, only can work 
a permanent change in the life of a man; and nothing 
short of this can be trusted as permanent in its effects. 

The journey to our new home was a rough one, not 
only because the road we traveled was new and poorly 
bridged, when bridged at all, but because cold weather 
set in soon after we started, and prevailed with more 
than ordinary severity to the end of our way. Moving 
in 1833 was not much like moving is now. Indiana had 
not then a railroad, turnpike, or anything like a w T ell- 
constructed highway of any considerable length. There 
were large districts of country that had not a single in- 
habitant. Around the towns and older settlements, the 
traveler could get along very well, but he had, even in 
1833, to pass over many miles together of road so poorly 
worked that he could have done about as well, and in 
many cases better, to have cut his own way through the 
forest altogether. 



136 Autobiography of 

Thirty-two years before this, I had passed through 
this State, then a Territory; but it was under very dif- 
ferent circumstances. I was a boy, ten years old or 
more, with an elasticity of body that defied hardship and 
laughed at the wilderness-way. That journey was made 
earlier in the autumn, when the streams were dry and 
the ground was solid. Now I had a large family of 
children to undergo their first experience of travel 
through rain, and snow, and ice, to a home among 
strangers. It required no little nerve to struggle along 
against the difficulties, without occasionally giving way 
to feelings of despondency and expressing words > of 
complaint. I could have borne the hardships myself, 
but I could not bear with patience the exposure and suf- 
fering of my wife and children. Nevertheless, the in- 
hospitality of roads and weather was more than made 
up to us by the hospitality of the settlers along the way 
— be this spoken to the praise of new settlers generally 
all the world over. I regret to say that, with the growth 
of the country in material wealth and internal improve- 
ments, there has not been the same improvement upon 
the hospitality of these people. It is a poor compliment 
to civilization and refinement, that selfishness has, in so 
large a measure, absorbed that generosity which the 
traveler of forty or fifty years ago met so often in the 
rude cabin of the woods. The home of the new settler 
was approached with a freedom and confidence indicative 
of the hospitality that reigned within. Then the latch- 
string always hung out. It may be, however, that the 
same generous people of the wilderness, had they been 
placed in circumstances of independence, might have 
lost a large measure of their generosity in parting with 
their dependence and poverty. 

On our journey, we had a rich experience with these 
people, and, though our bodies may have been chilled 
by the blasts of winter, our hearts were warmed by their 
kindness. On one occasion we found night coming upon 
us, and no stopping place near, save a little shanty in 
the edge of a deep forest. We knew that we must find 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 137 

shelter here, or else take the shelter of our wagons for 
the night, and that promised anything but a pleasant 
picture before us. I approached the cabin and called. 
A man of rough exterior and with no very agreeable- 
looking face, came out, and walked directly to where our 
teams were, without listening, as I thought, to my 
inquiry for lodging. He said in a gruff voice : "A bad 
night — a bad night! This is bad business — bad busi- 
ness ! Drive in, drive in," said he ; " the cabin is small, 
but it is better than the wagons, I suppose. You are 
welcome to share our shelter and fire ; we will do the 
best we can for you. Come in, come in." We were not 
long in making the change from the wagons to the cabin ; 
and warmer hearts or richer hospitality we have never 
met. There may be standing now, on the same spot 
where stood that cabin, a splendid mansion, erected by 
the descendants of that man ; but I doubt if there is as 
much room in that great mansion for the stranger as 
there was in the cabin. What a great world this would 
be if generosity would increase with riches ! but this is 
rarely, if ever, the case. On the contrary, the larger 
our earthly mansions and storehouses are, the less they 
contain for the poor wayfaring man. 

After hindrances of various kinds, which kept us on 
the road beyond the time calculated upon, we arrived 
without any serious casualty safe in the neighborhood of 
our new home. As Brother Rulon did not propose 
moving for some time, Ave were permitted to occupy his 
house until we could build one on our own land. By 
late planting time, we were in our own cabin, and had a 
garden spot and a small field ready for the plow. 
There being no school in the neighborhood, and no one 
better qualified to teach than myself, and having been 
urgently solicited to undertake the work, I, promising to 
do what I could, and to give way at any time that a bet- 
ter teacher might be obtained, taught three months, 
which was about the length of time that I had gone to 
school myself, all put together. My son John I., then 
about fourteen years old, and pretty well advanced for 



138 Autobiography of 

one of his age, assisted me at night in preparing for the 
labors of the coming day ; so that, by hard work and 
close application, I was able to keep w r ell ahead of my 
pupils, with only a few exceptions. 

Brother Joseph Franklin, my near neighbor, and the 
father of Ben Franklin, had a large family of boys — 
six in all. Ben had just married; the remaining five at- 
tended my school, and but for them I would have expe- 
rienced no difficulty in keeping ahead of my scholars. 
They learned rapidly, and pushed me on in a way not 
altogether comfortable. They were addicted, too, to the 
habit of asking questions — so much for their Rhode 
Island blood. Sometimes they puzzled me sorely, but I 
would put on a bold front, and, what with my own as- 
surance, and the polite disposition of the boys not to 
push their questions into unpleasant territory, I closed 
my school with some degree of satisfaction to myself, 
and I hope not without profit to the young people of 
the neighborhood. 

The school-house was large enough to hold a moderate 
congregation; so I commenced preaching there at the 
same time that I began to teach the school. In a short 
time, we had gathered together a little band of disciples, 
and organized them into a congregation. Though few 
in numbers, we were strong in faith; and I then believed 
that the day was not in the far distance when we would 
begin to reap in earnest, for the harvest was inviting in- 
deed. But, alas! how soon a cloud can settle upon us, 
darken our way, and disappoint our hopes. 

I suppose there has never been a congregation, how- 
ever small, without the necessity, arising now and then, 
for the exercise of discipline. Our little band was not 
an exception to the rule. The case which came up was 
a very delicate one, and of such a nature that, without 
the exercise of much w T isdom and forbearance, it was lia- 
ble to give considerable trouble. We would have very 
little difficulty in settling any case of discipline if all 
parties were willing to be guided strictly by the letter 
and spirit of the Law of Christ; but, when a case arises 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 139 

involving the honor or good name of a party, passion is 
likely to take the place of reason, the law of the " old 
man " to be substituted for the " new man," resentment 
and hate to take the place of long suffering and love; so 
that the eye is closed, and the ear stopped, and all means 
of pacification are set at naught. After many attempts to 
bring the parties of our trouble to a proper understand- 
ing, and having utterly failed, we were compelled to re- 
sort to the last remedy ; so, in the fear of God, we pro- 
nounced the sentence of expulsion. 

As I was the most active officer in the congregation, 
of course the shafts of hate were aimed chiefly at me; 
and, as the result of the whole matter, such a flood of 
persecution poured in upon me as to overwhelm me 
altogether. And, for some little time, though I strug- 
gled against the tide in the fear of the Lord and with all 
the power of my soul, it did appear that all my fond 
hopes of promoting the honor of my Master's cause, and 
of being more useful in His vineyard than I had ever 
been, were about to be swept away in the wild storm of 
passion that had been raised against me for having sim- 
ply done my duty. The house of worship was closed 
against us, and everything was said and done that could 
have a tendency to hedge up the way of truth. By the 
help of God, however the storm might rage, we were 
resolved to work on, pray on, and trust the Lord for re- 
sults. Though I tried to put on a bold front, anyone 
might have seen that I had the appearance of a disap- 
pointed man. I can now see that my faith was, for a 
season, defective, or I would have said to my troubled 
soul, "AH this may end well, and, certainly, if we love 
God, it ' will work together for good/ " And so it 
turned out, even sooner than the most hopeful expected. 
Our troubles were an advertisement that brought us into 
notice more than our preaching had done. 

New hearers appeared in our audiences — men who 
had never heard, and who, perhaps, might never have 
heard us under other circumstances. But we were turned 
out of doors, and had to find shelter in the woods, or in 



140 Autobiography of 

such barns or houses as a generous people would furnish. 
This excited sympathy, and brought out large audiences 
to hear us; and I think it operated not only upon the 
public favorably, but it brought all nearer to God, and, 
of course, it made us more humble. In our weakness 
w r e became strong. " Man's extremity is God's opportu- 
nity." Looking back over the past, I realize with great 
force the truth of the Apostle's remark : " That the 
trial of your faith, more precious than of gold that per- 
isheth, though proved by fire, may be found to praise 
and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 141 



CHAPTER XXII. 

Joseph Franklin's family. — A happy union.— How to treat our ad- 
versaries.— Conversions and the extension of the gospel. 

Among those whom our troubles had interested were 
Joseph Franklin and his Christian wife. They had never 
taken any interest in our preaching before. Even then, I 
do not suppose they came out of any sympathy they felt 
for the doctrine I preached ; but to hear a man for whom 
a kindly feeling had been awakened on account of the 
bad treatment he had received. In one particular, they 
agreed with us religiously : they believed in immersion, 
and were immersed Methodists. I wish all Methodists 
were immersionists ; they are a liberal-minded people, 
and could be easily approached if their baptism did not 
stop their ears. A strong attachment was soon formed 
between Joseph Franklin and wife and myself and wife. 
I think the desire was mutual that we might be bound 
together, not only in bonds of friendship, but also in the 
holier bond of Christian union and communion. This de- 
sire was intensified from the consideration that our union 
might result in the conversion of our children, who were 
on the broad road to destruction. 

To this end, we made an agreement to meet together 
at the house of one or the other of us, regularly upon 
every Saturday afternoon, and employ the time in read- 
ing the New Testament, marking all passages as we pro- 
ceeded upon which we could not so agree as to fellowship 
each other. In this attempt to see and believe alike, we 
agreed to sacrifice our prejudices and opinions, and to be 
guided only by the infallible Word of the Lord. All of 
our meetings were opened by prayer, sometimes by song 
and prayer. It was not long until we had finished the 
book. 

" Now," said I, " let us examine the marked passages, 
and see how far we are apart." 



142 Autobiography of 

How many were there? Not one. Why? Because 
we read this book with the true spirit; with an intense 
desire to be guided by it alone, and were thus brought 
together. If all men would so read the Scriptures, they 
might so be agreed as to its meaning, I doubt not. Dur- 
ing our investigation, w r e avoided every question or ex- 
pression that might arouse prejudice and obstruct our 
union. We sat down to our readings, not as partisans, 
but as if Ave had no opinion of our own on the matters 
we were considering. And when our work was done, and 
a complete union on the Bible, and the Bible alone, ef- 
fected, no one claimed the victory, or uttered a word of 
triumph ; but we rejoiced in that gospel which is so 
simple that a child can understand it, and that founda- 
tion that is broad enough for all that believe and obey 
the gospel of our Lord and Saviour. 

It we could keep self out of the way in all our at- 
tempts to build upon the one foundation, and make those 
whom we would enlighten feel that we have no selfish 
end in view ; but, on the contrary, that it is God's cause 
we are laboring to defend, and His truth alone we are 
laboring to maintain; we would be far more successful in 
our efforts to effect that unity of the spirit contemplated 
in the gospel. In all my attempts to preach the Apos- 
tolic gospel, I have endeavored to make my hearers real- 
ize that the whole controversy was between themselves 
and God. I endeavored to keep the Bible between myself 
and the people, so that their controversy should be, of ne- 
cessity, not with men, or the words or systems of men, 
but w T ith the Word of God, which is the only infallible 
rule of faith and practice. When constrained to make 
allusion to the men who stand at the head of the great 
religious parties of the day, such as Wesley, Luther and 
Calvin, it is wise to do so with becoming respect ; to al- 
lude to them as men who attempted a great work, and 
who were great reformers in their day, to whom we owe, 
at the present time, a large debt of gratitude. 

In my Indiana work, I found that this course of pro- 
cedure told with good effect upon my hearers, who were 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 143 

from almost every point of the religious compass. To 
the day of his death, Joseph Franklin contended with 
his son Benjamin that, in our meetings upon the Bible, 
if any one had changed, I had, and not he. Quite sat- 
isfied to see him standing upon the true platform, we 
were all willing that he should hold this opinion. When- 
ever we ask men to come to us, to join our church, or 
when we in any way mix ourselves in the matter, we pre- 
judice the cause of Christ. We must say : " Here is 
Christ! What think you of Him? Are you willing to 
believe Him, obey Him, trust Him? This is not my 
church, but the Church of Christ. This is not my gos- 
pel, but the Gospel of Christ, which is the power of God 
to salvation." 

I never made a fine sermon in my life ; but I have 
preached a great many very fine sermons ; yea, as pow- 
erful sermons as were ever uttered on earth. But all of 
these fine sermons were borrowed. I borrowed them 
from Christ and the Apostles. They contained the most 
sublime facts in the universe to be believed, the grand- 
est .commands to be obeyed, and the most precious 
promises to be •enjoyed. From the bottom of my heart 
do I pity any poor upstart who preaches as if he thinks 
that he can improve upon the models of eighteen hun- 
dred years ago ; who is ready to turn up his nose at the 
grand preacher of the Pentecost; who looks upon Peter 
as an old fogy, knowing more of law than of liberty — 
too unprogressive altogether. But I must get back to 
my narrative. 

After we were denied the use of the school -house, as 
I have before stated, we preached in the woods when 
the weather would permit, and at other times we met in 
such houses as were opened to us. One of those houses, 
where we often met, was Brother Joseph Rulon's. One 
night I was preaching there, when it seemed to me that 
the realization of our former hopes was about to be ac- 
complished. I was preaching one of my borrowed ser- 
mons, that had faith, repentance and baptism in it. 
Having closed, we called for recruits, and several of the 



144 Autobiography of 

leading spirits of the young men of the neighborhood 
came forward to enlist in the army of the Lord. Among 
them were Benjamin Franklin and his brother Daniel. 
The effect of this meeting was felt with power through 
the whole neighborhood ; for these young men began at 
once to work. They had enlisted in the Lord's army to 
fight manfully against sin and superstition, and every- 
thing in opposition to their Master's cause. They began 
at once the study of the Scriptures in good earnest* 
They assisted us with prayers and exhortations, both in 
public and private, on the Lord's day, and on every 
other day; so that the glorious work moved right on 
from that day, with no check or abatement, until scores 
had been brought into the kingdom, and the whole 
neighborhood had been entirely revolutionized. 

Brother Joseph Franklin's house being quite commo- 
dious, we held many of our meetings there ; and happier 
meetings than those were I have never enjoyed. It was 
soul-cheering, indeed, to see parents and children ming- 
ling together in song, and prayer, and exhortation ; ex- 
tending the hand of congratulation, or " shaking hands," 
as it was called ; and, with tearful eyes, all praising God. 

Old Brother Franklin was not the best balanced man 
in the world ; he was too much like myself in disposi- 
tion. With a quick and impulsive nature, he was easily 
exasperated, easily excited. He suddenly became very 
happy, and as suddenly very unhappy. Sometimes he 
was lifted to the third heaven in transports of joy, and 
would then relapse into a state of despondency and 
gloom almost bordering on despair. We used to say he 
either lived in the garret or the cellar. Withal, however, 
he was a good and pure man ; earnest in the advocacy of 
the truth, and as far from making compromises with 
error as any living man. He stood upon principle; was 
ever ready to sacrifice personal interest and the praise of 
men for what he believed to be the truth. 

His wife was of a different disposition. She was al- 
ways cheerful, and hoping for the best. While he was 
apt to look on the dark side of things, she was always 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 145 

looking on the bright side ; her sky was a cloudless one. 
Indeed, she was no ordinary woman. There were very 
few women in her day who had a better acquaintance 
with the Bible than she, or who had so bright an intel- 
lect. Her husband was sensible of this, and, when hard- 
pressed in a controversy, had a happy way of getting out 
of trouble by calling to his aid his wife, who, with won- 
derful skill, could turn the shafts of any common adver- 
sary. When in a desponding mood, he used to call upon 
his wife to lead the worship. This she did with such fer- 
vor that, by the time the "Amen" was uttered, Brother 
Franklin was a new man. There was a depth and pathos 
in her prayers and exhortations that at once solemnly 
impressed all present. Prayer with her was no mere 
form of words ; it was literally a pouring out of the 
soul to God in love, joy and praise, and in such a warm 
tide as to touch every heart and suffuse every eye with 
tears. When we consider the character of this woman 
of God, we are not surprised that four of her six sons 
became ministers of the Gospel of Christ. It would be 
interesting to know how many preachers in the world 
are indebted to their mothers for all they have been as 
preachers, and for all they have accomplished. Hun- 
dreds of preachers have had wicked fathers ; some, like 
myself, have had to confess that their fathers were infi- 
dels; but can any preacher say that his mother was an 
ungodly woman? Let me say to the mothers in Israel, 
that the hope of the world and the prosperity of the 
Church rest upon you. Talk of woman's rights and 
privileges ! all other rights and privileges sink into 
nothingness when compared with that of rearing war- 
riors for the armv of the Lord. Had Sister Franklin 
and my own dear wife gone out into the world to occupy 
the public pulpit, the chances are that the six preachers 
whom they reared would never have been heard of. My 
sisters, be content to stay at home and guide the house ; 
and think not that you are in any mean business when 
you are only bringing up your children in the fear of the 
Lord. No : this is the noblest work in the world ; and 
7 



146 Autobiography of 

a mission a thousand times nobler than any known by 
those who are continually croaking about woman's rights. 
We were now in the midst of a glorious revival ; the 
spirit of inquiry was abroad ; men, old and young, car- 
ried their Bibles with them, and undertook to establish 
the truth of their faith and practice from that book 
alone. Brother Benjamin Franklin's father-in-law and 
mother-in-law yielded to the gospel, and so did the 
greater portion of their children ; several of them in- 
clined to Universalism. A brother of Sister F., a man 
of strong mind and of considerable general information, 
gave me no little trouble upon the question of universal 
salvation. Whenever he succeeded in decoying me out 
into the regions of speculation, I felt that he had the 
advantage of me. So long as he kept me outside of the 
Bible, he made out a very respectable case. I soon 
learned what his tactics were, and never afterwards ven- 
tured beyond the limits of Revelation. I continued 
my thrusts with the sword of the Spirit until he cried 
" Enough," and acknowledged that there was no founda- 
tion for his theory in the Bible. The conversion of this 
man had a considerable influence in his neighborhood, 
and extended our opportunities for doing good. 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 147 



CHAPTER, XXIII. 

Confession and baptism of John I. Rogers.— Results of the revival. 
Benjamin Franklin as a preacher. — Valuable counsel to preachera 
and young converts. 

My son John, who had been attending school in Ken- 
tucky, now returned to find his old associates, with a 
few exceptions, in the church, and full of the Spirit of 
the Lord. He seemed to be completely lost. He could 
not turn away from his old associates, and yet he felt 
embarrassed in their presence. No effort was spared by 
his young friends to induce him to become a Christian. 
They prayed for him ; exhorted and counseled him ; rea- 
soned and pleaded with him — all apparently in vain, for, 
as yet, he seemed unmoved. When he was preparing to 
leave home again, quite a number of anxious young men 
came in to see him, not only for the purpose of bidding 
him adieu, but, likewise, to make a last and determined 
effort to induce him to turn to God. They talked with 
him up to a late hour of the night, but seemingly to no 
purpose. His mother and I put in a word now and then, 
but at last we were all inclined to give him up as a 
hopeless case. 

Prayer being the Christian's last resort, I proposed 
that, before any of the company should leave, we bow 
together in prayer. That hour was to me one of pecu- 
liar solemnity. I felt that the soul of a dear child was 
suspended by a slender thread between heaven and hell. 
Indeed, I felt that the last-mentioned place had the 
better chance for him; though I could not give him up 
without telling my Father all about it, and asking His 
help in this our time of need. 

At such times, when we are vibrating between hope 
and despair, Ave can all pray fervently, if not eloquently. 
Perhaps, I never in all my life prayed a better prayer 



148 Autobiography of 

than I did that night. I prayed with the weight of an 
immortal spirit upon my soul, and that spirit was my 
own child. Blessed be God, I did not pray in vain. 
My son, after it was all past, remarked to me that 
every word I spoke went to his heart like a barbed 
shaft. When w T e arose from our knees, John I. stood 
before me pale and trembling, as if struggling to un- 
burden his soul ; and, for a few moments, a silence en- 
sued that was really painful. AH eyes were turned 
upon him when he broke the silence, and thus ad- 
dressed me: 

" Father, I believe I am as well prepared to confess 
faith in Christ now as I may ever be." 

I at once arose, grasped my boy's hand, and took his 
confession. I then asked when he desired to be im- 
mersed ; and he answered : " At this very hour." 

While this was transpiring, there was not a dry eye in 
the house. His loving mother even shouted aloud, 
praising God. Torches were soon prepared, and we 
went directly to the water, which was but a few steps 
from Brother Franklin's house. When we arrived at 
the place, and had aroused old Brother Franklin and 
wife, we had one of our old-fashioned songs, a prayer, 
then attended to the baptism; and in all we experienced 
great joy together. Brother F. said to me: 

" Brother Rogers, you are a great man for the water ; 
you come here by day and by night; yes, and at mid- 
night. It seems," said he, " that it is never too light or 
too dark, too hot or too cold, for you." 

" Yes," said I, "we go when the Master calls; and, as 
He is always calling, we are always going." 

I have never been in favor of deferring baptism to 
suit the convenience of any one. The Lord's time is my 
time. " Now is the accepted time," has always been my 
motto. 

The good work went bravely on until multitudes were 
rejoicing in the liberty of the glorious gospel of Christ. 
The effect of this revival spread far and wide. Seven 
preachers came out of it, and, as far as I know, have 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 149 

been earnest workers in the cause of the Lord. The 
four Franklins have done a great work in their own 
State. Ben Franklin's influence has been felt over 
the entire continent; and beyond it, both by his preach- 
ing and writing. Brother Adamson became an able 
preacher, and exerted a good influence in the East. My 
son John I. is well known in Kentucky; others may 
speak of his work. These men, the fruit of that revi- 
val, have extended their labors over the entire United 
States, and eternity alone can tell the good they have 
accomplished. 

I have ever felt, in looking back over those times and 
considering that work, that, if I had done no more for 
my Master than to be instrumental in giving to the 
world Benjamin Franklin, I would have no reason to be 
ashamed ; but would feel that I had by no means lived 
and labored in vain. Ben Franklin may, in common 
with his race, have faults and foibles: but, to my mind, 
he is one of the most direct and powerful gospel preach- 
ers and writers of this age. He indulges very little, if 
any, in speculation, but lays down his proposition, and 
proceeds with proofs that carry conviction to the mind 
almost irresistibly. He is emphatically a gospel preacher. 
Christ is his theme, first, midst and last. We may have 
scores of men among us more learned, in the popular 
sense, and more refined and elegant in manners and 
address; but it is my judgment that w T e have not a man 
among us who can preach the gospel with less admixture 
of philosophy and speculation, and with greater force, 
than Ben Franklin. 

It may be said that I am partial to him, because he is 
my son in the gospel. It may be so ; yet, when I compare 
the result of his labors with that of others, and find that 
no man has produced more fruit than he in the same 
length of time, I think that I am not mistaken in my 
judgment. He has never pretended to be learned or 
eloquent; yet he is learned in the religion of Jesus Christ, 
and overwhelmingly eloquent in presenting the love of 
God, and in drawing the picture of the grace of our 



150 Autobiography of 

Lord Jesus Christ. Ben Franklin has one characteristic 
that ought to endear him to every Christian heart; that 
is, his profound reverence for the Word of God, and his 
abiding confidence in its truth. I ought not to glory in 
my own work, I know quite well ; but, if an Apostle 
could rejoice that he had " not run in vain, neither la- 
bored in vain," so may I, without appearing vain-glori- 
ous. I do then rejoice that thousands upon thousands 
will chant the praises of God in heaven as the result, 
either immediately or remotely, of the glorious revival 
of which we have been speaking. 

It may be proper for me to state, before closing this 
chapter, that if we desire large and lasting results from 
our conversions, every young disciple should be put to 
work speedily; should be impressed with the idea that 
he is especially called to labor, and that God will have 
no idlers in His vineyard. Idlers always have been 
mischief-makers, and will always be. They will do no 
good for themselves, but will do an incalculable amount 
of injury to others. On the other hand, the working 
Christian is peaceable and full of good fruits. He is 
himself blessed, and is a blessing to the Church. He 
is not rebellious or quarrelsome; is in no danger of 
going astray, and has neither disposition nor time to do 
mischief. 

If any one were to ask me to give the cure for all 
the maladies to which young disciples are addicted, I 
would say, Keep them at work. These suggestions are 
especially useful for the young. The history of one 
young wanderer is the history of every one, in all its 
main features. They all die of inactivity. In the revi- 
val of which I have been speaking, I made it my busi- 
ness to encourage every young disciple to engage at 
once in active service. If he could do but little, that 
little was required at once. If he could do much, he 
was encouraged to begin immediately, because the duty 
of to-day, if neglected, makes the duty of to-morrow 
so difficult that we are apt to be discouraged. The 
result of this course was not only manifested in the 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 151 

bringing out into the evangelical field of so many useful 
preachers, but in the strength and efficiency of the con- 
verts generally. There was erected in almost every 
family an altar, from which ascended the incense of 
praise to God continually, and religious themes formed 
the staple of conversation; not of Lord's days only, but 
of every day. There was a steadfast continuance in 
the Apostles' doctrine, in fellowship, in breaking bread, 
and in prayer. Consequently, but few apostasies oc- 
curred among them. 



152 Autobiography of 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



Removal to Darke county, Ohio.— Visit to Antioch.-^Success.— Again 
settled at my old home, among loving friends. 

My mission in Indiana extended over a period of 
about five years; and I may say they were five check- 
ered years. If I had those five years to live over 
again, I now see where I could make great improvement 
upon them. But they now belong to God, who has 
recorded their events, and those records I can never 
change. If we could keep in mind the fact that the 
deeds of every day are recorded, with all the circum- 
stances, extenuating or aggravating, and that they will 
confront us in eternity, no doubt we would live better 
lives, and do far more for God and humanity than we do. 

In the Autumn of 1838, 1 was offered what I thought 
was a good price for my Indiana farm, and was induced 
to sell out, and seek a new home and a new field of la- 
bor. Having been reared upon the frontier, I have 
always been of a roving disposition, and had the foolish 
notion, which has deluded countless thousands, that, by 
changing places, I might greatly change the current of 
my fortune for good. Whereas, I now believe that it 
would be better for us, in the long run, to remain among 
our friends, and to develop the fields we are occupying, 
than to seek fairer fields among strangers. It is an easy, 
but neither a brave nor a wise, way of treating difficulties 
to go round them. We ought bravely to meet and over- 
come them, and they will be forever out of the way ; 
otherwise, we will be in the condition of an army that 
has flanked the enemy, leaving him strongly intrenched 
in the rear. 

Having sold out my home place, I made a considerable 
tour over the States of Ohio and Indiana, and finally 
purchased a farm and settled in Darke county, Ohio. I 
flattered myself that I had now found the most promis- 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 153 

ing fields for usefulness I had yet known. In this I was 
mistaken. It is true that the field was not altogether 
barren, nor were our labors in vain in the Lord. At 
first, I witnessed quite a revival of the drooping spirits 
of the disciples in the neighborhood, and the conversion 
of a goodly number of souls. But my work was of a 
spasmodic nature. Though we had among us a few 
noble spirits, yet the masses were wanting in firmness 
and Christian enterprise. My work wanted underpin- 
ning and bracing to keep it standing at all. I visited 
the districts around with the hope of doing good, but 
the results of my preaching were meager &nd unsatis- 
factory. 

While here, I Lad a pleasant visit from two of my 
children, Benjamin and Daniel Franklin. We had a 
pleasant time together, and I think I was a little vain as 
I listened to those boys whom I had been instrumental 
in bringing into the fold of Christ. They had been 
born only two or three years before, and yet they had 
grown so rapidly that they were now larger than their 
father. It was almost enough to make one jealous of 
hip own offspring, so rapidly had they advanced. 

During the second year of my sojourning here, I made 
a tour to Antioch, the place which I had left in 1833. 
Antioch and the surrounding country were dear to me 
on account of the memories of former years. We pro- 
tracted a meeting here of several days. Up to this time, 
there were two or three old brethren that had stood 
out against the Reformation. They would long since 
have yielded, but for the persistent efforts of a few 
mischief-making spirits, w T ho made periodical visits to 
the neighborhood for the purpose of stirring up strife, 
and reviving the prejudices of the few remaining disaf- 
fected ones. 

From long acquaintance and intimate association with 
the people, as might have been expected, almost the 
entire community came out to hear me, and among the 
rest were the three men who had never given up their 
old ways of opposition to the Reformation. The years 



154 Autobiography of 

of our separation had been to many of the people full 
of sorrow. The destroyer had been among them, and 
laid many a brave heart low in the grave. Fathers, 
mothers, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, children and 
friends, who, when I left, were in the bloom of health, 
were now sleeping beneath the sod. Scarcely a house- 
hold could number the same as when I was among them 
seven years before. 

These things softened our hearts, and cemented bonds 
of Christian friendship that were well nigh broken, even 
in the case of those who were alienated on account of 
religious differences. My falling in among the people 
there at that particular time, in its effect reminded me 
of the gush of grief that breaks forth when an old fa- 
miliar friend drops into the midst of a family when one 
of their number is coffined for the burial. 

During the progress of my meeting I had a dream. I 
tell it as a dream, and not as the word of God. " The 
prophet that hath a dream, let him tell it as a dream ; 
and he that hath my word, let him speak it faithfully; 
but what is the chaff to the wheat ? saith the Lord w 
(Jer. xxiii. 28). The dream was as follows: I dreamed 
that, on my way to meeting, I met in the way three rat- 
tlesnakes, and, having in my hand a flail, such as we 
used in olden times in thrashing our grain, I dealt a 
blow upon the head of each one of these serpents, scat- 
tering their blood and brains in every direction ; so that 
the ground was literally covered with blood and mangled 
portions of their bodies. This dream made very little 
impression on my mind, though I related it to my son- 
in-law and his family next morning at breakfast. 

That day I preached to a large and solemn audience, 
and at the conclusion of the discourse those three alien- 
ated brethren came forward, and, confessing their errors, 
asked to be admitted to the fellowship of the church. 
This produced a profound impression upon the audience, 
melting every one to tears. After the meeting was 
over, my son-in-law, James Vandervort, approaching 
me, whispered in my ear that my prophetic vision had 



Elder Samuel Kogees. 155 

been realized. Upon this question of dreams, I will say 
neither yea nor nay, more than this: that dreams are 
not to be relied upon, however frequently they may 
come true. But I can speak confidently of the results 
of this meeting. Many sinners w r ere converted, all 
alienations were healed, and new life was infused into 
the church. 

When the meeting was fairly over, and the time of 
my departure was at hand, I began to realize that it 
would be a greater task to bid my old friends and neigh- 
bors adieu than I had anticipated. I was bound to them 
by a thousand ties; the happiest years of my life had 
been spent here. In this region there were many spots 
hallowed by sweet and blessed memories. The old 
meeting-house, the graveyard, the neighboring groves, 
the valleys and streams, were all made dear to me by the 
events of years that stretched away back into my earliest 
labors in the gospel. With feelings like these agitating 
my own breast, I was not prepared to reject the over- 
tures of my old brethren, who came, with tears in their 
eyes, beseeching me to return to the old stamping- 
ground, and settle again among friends who were tried 
and true. Having consented that they might send 
teams and move my family, the thing was speedily ac- 
complished. 

One of the brethren, Barnet Bashore, with whom I 
had lived on most intimate terms for many years, came 
forward and proposed to be at the trouble of moving me 
without any charge ; other brethren made proposals 
equally liberal touching my comfort and that of my fam- 
ily ; until I felt fairly overwhelmed and subdued by their 
kindness. If my inmost thoughts and feelings had been 
carefully analyzed, I am inclined to think that an under- 
current of vanity might have been detected ; though, if 
vanity there was, I am sure it did not arise from a sense 
of my own worthiness, but from the fact that these peo- 
ple were my children. I had educated them with a 
father's care, and, both by precept and example, had in- 
culcated upon their minds principles of liberality; and 



156 Autobiography of 

I was now enjoying for myself the fruits of that instruc- 
tion and training which I had given for the benefit of 
others. That man who would himself be blessed, must 
teach his children sentiments of goodness, and loving 
kindness, and charity. Though he should not do this 
for the purpose of reaping any personal advantage him- 
self, yet the reward will come; for it is my experience 
that, in the end, every man will reap where he sows, and 
reap, in a great measure, the kind he sows. The pro- 
verb that " a man who has friends must show himself 
friendly," has been verified in my experience over and 
over again; as w r ell as that saying of the Saviour, 
" Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do 
ye even so to them." 

The disciple is sure to imitate his teacher. A penuri- 
ous and selfish teacher will make a penurious and selfish 
people. Should a preacher refuse to give liberally and 
cheerfully, even of his penury, when the occasion de- 
mands it, the people will likewise shut up the bowels of 
their compassion, becoming as miserly as the preacher. 
Soon or late, that preacher will feel the power of his 
example and teaching, in witnessing the cutting-off of 
his own supplies as the legitimate working of the very 
principles which he practiced for the purpose of improv- 
ing his circumstances. 

There are three considerations that should lead us to 
the practice of liberality. 1. There are objects of want 
that demand it. 2. The world needs the example. 3. 
The giver's own spiritual life and health depend upon 
it. A triple blessing will follow every gift as infallibly 
as cause follows effect, viz.: The recipient is blessed; 
the world is blessed with the light of the act; the giver 
is blessed in the realization of the truth that "it is more 
blessed to give than to receive." 

Let no preacher complain of a want of generosity 
among his people who does not himself live in the daily 
practice of principles of generosity. "Be not deceived; 
whatsoever a man soweth, that also shall he reap." By 
the liberality of my children, whom I had begotten by 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 157 

the gospel, I now saw, with feelings of grateful praise, 
my family safely housed in the homestead we had left 
in 1833. This place I paid for at about three times the 
amount I had realized for it eight years before. I gave 
only a part of my time to the congregation at Antioch, 
and the rest to surrounding churches ; spending, in this 
way, about a year pleasantly, and profitably too. It 
would be supposed that, from my past experience, I 
should be satisfied to " let well enough alone," as I was 
doing a good work, and was happy in the society of 
friends whom I could trust. But it was not so deter- 
mined. 



158 Autobiography op 



CHAPTER XXV. 



Third visit to Missouri.— Elder Lockhart at Belleville. — Terre Haute 
and the Combses.— Great meeting in Franklin county, Missouri. — 
Philip Miller.— Urged to make another visit. 

As I learned at the close of the year, that my mother, 
in Missouri, was becoming quite frail, I resolved to 
make what I supposed would be my last visit to that 
country. I doubt not, that in my determination to 
make this tour, I was actuated as much by a missionary 
spirit as by affection for my mother. 

This was the third missionary tour I had made to 
Missouri on horseback, through the States of Indiana 
and Illinois. My first stopping place was in Preble 
county, where lived two brothers by the name of Har- 
land, who were pioneer preachers of considerable abil- 
ity. They had built up a fine congregation in their 
neighborhood, which I had the pleasure of laboring with 
for several days. This meeting was not successful in the 
way of making additions to the church. I trust and be- 
lieve that my labor was not in vain in the Lord. Thence 
I passed through the city of Indianapolis to Belleville, 
where, in concert with my dear friend and brother, 
Lockhart, who resided there, we conducted a meeting 
which lasted several days, and resulted in many conver- 
sions. Brother Lockhart had moved to that country at 
an early day, and had become a preacher in the school 
of necessity. He had not enjoyed the advantages of 
schools to any considerable extent, and, perhaps, had 
never seen the inside of a college. Notwithstanding 
this, being a man of prayerfulness and piety, he was 
urged to take an active part in the neighborhood meet- 
ings which he attended. This he did for some time, 
and became so useful to the cause, that a few wise breth- 
ren, after some consultation, urged him to submit to or- 
dination, and give himself to the work of the ministry. 



Elder Samuel Bogers. 159 

He had many misgivings upon this subject, as he in- 
formed me ; but being so urgently solicited by the breth- 
ren, he submitted to their superior judgment, and, being 
ordained, found abundant work immediately, not only in 
his own neighborhood, but in the surrounding country. 

I am told that his first efforts were quite feeble ; but 
what they lacked in force of argument and eloquence, 
was made up by his piety and devotion to the cause of 
his Maker. No man, without experience, can fully esti- 
mate the power of the Christian life in connection with 
the proclamation of the gospel. 

At the time of my visit, he was a strong advocate of 
the truth. He made no pretensions to eloquence or to 
oratory, in the common acceptation of the terms. But 
he was both eloquent and an orator, in the best sense. 
He was instrumental in building up a number of con- 
gregations in his region, and, in fact, accomplished al- 
most everything that was done in his part of the coun- 
try. 

I doubt not, that in heaven, hundreds whom he has 
converted will chant the praises of God with as clear a 
voice, and a soul as full of divine love, as if they had 
been converted by the most refined, eloquent, and 
learned preacher in the land. If you will visit, to- 
day, the neighborhood of his labors, you will hear him 
spoken of as the man to whom our cause in that district 
owes more than to any or all others together. 

We see in this case what a devoted Christian can do, 
not under the manipulations of theological trainers, but 
under the influence of strong religious convictions and 
the pressure of circumstances. 

From Belleville we passed on to Terre Haute, our next 
place of meeting. Here I met my old friends and breth- 
ren, Michael and Job Combs, with whom I had labored 
in days long gone. These men, like Brother Lockhart, 
had sown the good seed broadcast, without any plans 
or direction, save the plan that one who loves the 
truth will somehow devise, and the direction of a sense 
of duty. The Lord had raised up quite a number of 



160 Autobiography of 

faithful disciples in this part of the country, mainly by 
the instrumentality of a few noble examples. One con- 
sistent, Christian life, in a community, is worth more to 
the cause than many eloquent sermons. From Terre 
Haute I crossed the Wabash River, and passing through 
Paris, held a meeting near the State line, which was the 
most profitable meeting of my journey, if I may judge 
by the visible fruits. Many souls professed faith in the 
Lord Jesus Christ. 

It being now midwinter, and fearing the breaking up 
of the hard weather, I hurried on to the place of my 
destination without much delay. Passing through St. 
Louis, where we tarried but a day or so, we were soon 
among our old friends in Franklin county. As I have 
stated before, this was my third missionary tour to this 
country. The first was in 1819, in company with my 
brother, John Rogers, who, but a short time before, 
had entered the ministry. We then belonged to the old 
Christian body, and were called, by our enemies, New- 
Lights, Arians, Schismatics, and I know not how many 
ugly names. The next visit was made in company with 
James Hughes, in 1825 or 1826, I am not sure as to the 
date. Hughes was one of the most successful men of 
the Stone Reformation. He was a native of Kentucky, 
early emigrated to Illinois, and traveled extensively 
with me through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. 

I believe I was the second preacher who carried 
across the Mississippi the doctrine that the Bible, and 
the Bible alone, is a sufficient rule of faith and practice. 
As far as I am now informed, Brother Thomas McBride 
was the first to preach these views in Missouri. In the 
year 1813, he moved from Barren county, Kentucky, 
and was a lifelong advocate of the doctrine that the 
Bible is the Christian's only creed ; that baptism is scrip- 
turally administered by immersion; and that the name 
Christian is the true name for the disciples of Christ. 

My visit, of which I am speaking, was made in the 
year 1839 or 1840, and my first since I had fully received 
and avowed the doctrine of the current Reformation. 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 161 

As before stated, I had, about the time of my last 
visit, glimpses of the truth, aud was quite satisfied upon 
the subject of the call to the ministry; but as yet there 
had been no formal union of the old Christian people 
with the Baptists who had adopted Brother Campbell's 
views; nor was there any radical change in the organiza- 
tion of our congregations, especially in Missouri. But 
by this time all the congregations which I met with had 
been brought fully into the light of Apostolic Christian- 
ity, though in and around Franklin they were much 
discouraged, having but one preacher in the entire dis- 
trict, and he only preaching among them on Lord's days, 
being a merchant, and wholly dependent upon his busi- 
ness for a living. This w^as Jas. K. Rule, who, with his 
brother, professed Christianity in old Concord, while 
living at my house, in Nicholas county, Kentucky. 

He moved to Missouri in an early day, and, being a 
faithful Christian, he went about doing good upon every 
favorable occasion. I give Brother Rule credit for do- 
ing all he could under the circumstances, notwithstand- 
ing some of the congregations in his region of country 
were almost extinct, and others were in a low state, 
spiritually. Here I found Philip Miller, a native of 
Nicholas county, Kentucky, who, at the time of his re- 
moval to Missouri, was a Baptist; but afterwards be- 
came a convert to the views of B. W. Stone, under the 
preaching of Elder Thomas McBride. Miller was a 
man of rare good sense, and exerted a happy influence 
in his neighborhood. James McBride, son of Thomas 
McBride, married Miller's daughter, and became a use- 
ful preacher, and until his removal to Springfield kept 
up quite a religious interest among the people in the 
neighborhood. 

The removal of McBride was a great misfortune to 
the churches in the vicinity. After his departure many 
troubles arose, many apostasies occurred, and even Philip 
Miller, who had been an example to the flock, now was 
about ready to give up the ship. Knowing him to be a 
man of noble impulses, and capable ot doing a great 



162 Autobiography of 

amount of good, it was my first object to revive his 
flagging spirits and put him to work. 

My first meeting was held at his house, near the place 
where my mother then lived, and is now sleeping. The 
news of the meeting had been well circulated, and the 
people came out in great numbers to hear ; some from 
the opposite side of the river, others from adjacent 
neighborhoods, in such numbers that we had not room 
for them in the house. We had a blessed revival in the 
church and in the world. Sinners came weeping, and 
weeping saints embraced them, and Ave all rejoiced to- 
gether. Hands that had been hanging down were 
strengthened, and spirits that had been despondent were 
now revived. Philip Miller became almost wild with 
delight. 

For a time sectarianism had been very quiet ; but now 
that our cause had received a new impulse, and our peo- 
ple were aroused from their stupidity, and were at work 
in good earnest, the opposition became more violent, so 
that no means was spared, upon their part, to stop the 
onward progress of the gospel in its ancient simplicity, 
and to fortify themselves against our attacks. 

I do not remember how long these meetings lasted, 
but if nothing more had been accomplished upon this 
tour than what was done here, we had great reason to 
rejoice in the fruit of our labors. 

Philip Miller expressed his determination to live a 
more active and consistent Christian life, and well and 
faithfully did he keep these solemn vows. His son 
Samuel has since expressed it as his opinion, that this 
meeting saved his father from apostasy. 

At the close of this memorable meeting, Brother 
Philip Miller and others insisted upon my giving them 
another appointment. This I could not do during my 
present visit to the State. It was then urged that I 
should return home, and arrange with my Antioch 
brethren to let me off for a few months, and come back 
as speedily as possible to this field of labor which 
seemed to be so promising. Brother Miller, to make as- 



Elder Samuel Kogers. 163 

surance doubly sure, proposed to advance one hundred 
dollars towards my compensation. All that I could do 
in the case was to make them a conditional promise. 

Upon my return home, I consulted my family first, 
and then laid the matter before the brethren, asking 
them to decide the whole question in the light of all the 
circumstances. The brethren consented to let me off 
for three months, believing that the circumstances of the 
case demanded it. A few of my friends criticised me 
for making so many changes. They thought me natur- 
ally fond of roving from place to place, in search of 
novelties, rather than in search of fields of greater use- 
fulness. I am free to admit that the course of my past 
life gives some foundation for such a charge. But this 
fault of mine is the result of making a bad use of a true 
principle. I have always believed it to be my duty to 
go where I could do the most good, without for a mo- 
ment consulting convenience, ease or pleasure. But my 
mistake lies in the fact, that I have often hastened to 
conclusions without weighing with sufficient care all the 
facts and circumstances of the case, and not in any love 
of change or novelties. 



164 Autobiography of 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

Fourth visit to Missouri.— Conversion of a skeptic. — Sermon on Elec- 
tion. — Total Depravity.— Being born in a potato-patch does not 
make you a potato. — Being shapen in the forest does not give you 
the nature of a tree. 

Upon returning to my Missouri field of labor, I found 
the opposition to our cause intensified and systematized. 
The scattered ranks of our religious opposers had been 
suddenly brought together, and they were ready for a 
combined attack upon what they chose to call the soul- 
destroying heresy of Campbellism. I can not say that I 
liked this state of things; but I believe it was to my ad- 
vantage, and in favor of our cause. It stimulated me to 
increased activity and boldness in preaching the ancient 
gospel in its simplicity, and in defining our distinctive 
plea with more precision. Their misrepresentations, 
meanwhile, were so glaring, that I had an easy conquest 
of it. They accused us of denying the Divinity of 
Christ; of casting aside, as useless, the Old Scriptures; 
of baptizing infidels; of teaching that water washed 
away sins; that if w r e could get people under the water 
we declared them safe for heaven; that we had no use for 
evangelical faith: and I can not say how many things 
they accused us of teaching, the like of which we had 
never dreamed of, and things that would shock the com- 
mon sense of man. The result of this kind of opposi- 
tion was, that we found ourselves well advertised, all 
over the country, and so many strange and absurd 
things had been said about us, that enemies as well as 
friends came to hear us, giving us generally large audi- 
ences everywhere, before whom we had a fine oppor- 
tunity of repelling these slanders, and presenting primi- 
tive Christianity. Scores of enemies came to hear, 
believing these vile stories, who, after hearing for 
themselves, were compelled, as honest men, to con- 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 165 

fess that we had been slandered. Many of this class, 
upon hearing a few times, were so pleased with the doc- 
trine which they heard, that they abandoned sectarian- 
ism, and became our fast friends. 

If I were to give a detailed account of every meeting 
held during these months, it would be a repetition of 
almost the same thing. The field was indeed ripe for 
the harvest. The people were anxious, and came by 
hundreds to hear the gospel, and scores were converted. 
Many, also, were reclaimed who had forgotten their first 
love. 

I shall never forget the conversion of a noble-minded 
man by the name of Davis, who had heard so much con- 
tradictory and false religion preached, that he became 
confused and disgusted with everything bearing the 
name of religion, and resolved never to have anything 
more to do with it. He informed me that he had 
allowed those absurd notions which he had heard from 
sectarian pulpits to drive him into downright skepti- 
cism. 

While in this state of mind, he heard that a " Camp- 
bellite" was preaching strange things in the neighbor- 
hood, and he concluded to venture out, and hear what he 
had to say. He had heard of Campbellites as a sort of 
half infidels, who held to every absurd notion, almost, 
imaginable. He entered the house and took his seat, 
just as I was reading my text from I. Peter i., as fol- 
lows: "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God 
the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto 
obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ; 
grace unto you and peace be multiplied." I endeavored 
to show, that according to Macknight and others, w^hose 
learning and wisdom qualified them to speak with author- 
ity upon the subject, the apostles meant to convey the 
idea, that the election of believers was according to an 
arrangement which God had previously made known — 
that God had made known long before the coming of 
Christ, how men were to be elected to the salvation he 
had devised. I showed that elections in the State are 



166 Autobiography of 

carried on according to the law and the Constitution of 
said State, previously arranged and made known, viz. : 
according to the foreknowledge of the framers of the 
Constitution — that every man elected at all, must be 
elected according to that previous arrangement which 
had been made and promulgated. I showed that, how- 
ever men might have been elected before the adoption 
of the Constitution, it is certain that since that time, the 
demands of the law regulating elections must be met, to 
make an election valid; and that the law clearly defined, 
first, the character of the person to be elected to office, 
and, secondly, the mode and manner of holding said 
election. I then applied my illustration by showing 
that God had made and promulgated the law concerning 
the election of men to a place in his kingdom; and how- 
ever, and to whatever men had been elected before the 
promulgation of this law of pardon, or election to the 
favor of God under the reign of King Jesus, it was ab- 
solutely certain, that since its promulgation, men must 
be elected according to the divine law regulating the 
case. 

I then proceeded to show that the kingdom was set up 
on the day of Pentecost, proving it by the fact that, up 
to that time, its setting up was referred to as an event yet 
to take place, and that after that time it was referred to 
as an event which had already taken place. I also 
proved that Peter was the proper person to publish the 
law of election, and that Jerusalem was the place from 
which it was to go forth, and that the day of Pentecost 
was the proper time. And I proved that this proper 
person, at the proper time and place, did open the polls, 
laying down the rules regulating the election, and that 
three thousand men were elected, according to this pre- 
vious arrangement of God the Father, through sanctifica- 
tion of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the 
blood of Jesus Christ. Now, said I, the same law is in 
force to-day for you; and the same commission is in 
force now that was given to the apostles, to preach the 
gospel to every nation; and that law is, "He that be- 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 167 

lieveth and is baptized, shall be saved." I then declared 
the polls open, and asked all to come forward who de- 
sired to be elected. This man Davis was the first to 
arise and come forward. Being something of a poli- 
tician, he understood my illustrations, and as he came 
forward, he cried out, " I am a candidate for election, and 
had I understood the subject as I now do, I should have 
been elected long ago." 

Sixteen more followed him upon the same invitation, 
and a glorious victory was won that day for the truth. 
Close akin to this doctrine of election, is that of total 
hereditary depravity, which is one of the main pillars of 
sectarianism. The people had been taught to believe 
that they were so completely depraved, that they could 
not think a good thought, nor perform a good action; 
and they had willingly accepted the doctrine that they 
were incapable of doing anything whatever, in order to 
the enjoyment of salvation. They wanted to know my 
opinion of certain texts bearing upon this subject, one 
of which was the following : " Behold, I was shapen in 
iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." I told 
them that this text might establish the fact that the 
parent was depraved; but it certainly did not follow, 
from anything it taught, that the children were de- 
praved, much less did it teach the doctrine of total and 
hereditary depravity. Said I, suppose David had said, 
" Behold, I was shapen in the woods, and in the forest 
did my mother conceive me ; would that prove that he 
was a tree, or even that he partook of the nature of 
trees ? Or if any one should declare that he was born 
in a potato-patch, would that prove that he was a pota- 
to, or anything of the kind ? I admit that my illustra- 
tions were homely, and they might now be called vulgar, 
but they had the effect to silence the batteries of the 
enemy, as far as I know. But it must remembered that 
I was among a plain-spoken, pioneer people, who did not 
stand upon the elegancies and niceties of things. They 
were satisfied with language which conveyed the idea of 
the speaker clearly, whether it was according to the 



168 Autobiography of 

latest rules of rhetoric, or not. They were offended at 
me for charging them with digging up the dry bones of 
this doctrine, which had been buried nearly three thou- 
sand years ago by Ezekiel the prophet, who preached its 
funeral and laid it away to sleep in the grave forever, 
never dreaming that in these last days any prophet 
would become so fond of the relics of the dark ages, as 
to dig up these bones and endeavor to infuse into them 
life again. I read to them a part of this ancient funeral 
discourse : " What mean ye by using this proverb con- 
cerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten 
sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? 
As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall have occasion no 
more to use this proverb in Israel. The soul that sin- 
neth it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of 
the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of 
the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be 
upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be 
upon him." I rejoice to believe that our religious 
neighbors are, in these latter days, becoming ashamed 
of their speculations, both upon the subject of Calvin- 
ism, and total hereditary depravity. I judge that they 
are ashamed of them, from the fact that they rarely re- 
fer to them in their sermons. 

When I began this second missionary tour of labor, 
I supposed that at the close of the allotted time, the 
churches and the cause in this district would be upon a 
footing so firm that I might leave the field without 
detriment to the cause of truth. In this I was mis- 
taken. Every day the field became wider and more in- 
viting, and the opposition became more violent and con- 
centrated. If there was reason for my returning before, 
there was much greater reason now. The Macedonian 
cry was coming up from every part of the country — 
" Come and help us." I received petitions from various 
churches and from individuals, urging me to remain a 
little longer, or, if I could not do so, to return again by 
all means, and spend a few more months in the field. 
The enemies of truth had become so hostile, that the 



Elder Samuel Kogers. 169 

strongest and best brethren in the district feared that the 
result of my leaving them now might turn out dis- 
astrously. I knew not what to do; for I felt the force 
of their arguments, and appreciated their plea. But my 
family was large, and needed my presence every day, 
and my poor wife had lived almost like a widow 
more than half her life. The fact that she had always 
been willing for me to go where the Lord called, did not 
relieve me, for I felt that I was imposing upon good na- 
ture. It was also true, on the other hand, that my 
family were among friends tried and true, who were 
ready to give any assistance needed, and that my wife, 
with the help of the older children, managed affairs 
about as well as I could have done; yet I was needed at 
home, and I felt much inclined to commit to the breth- 
ren and the Lord the keeping of the cause in this coun- 
try, and return to the bosom of my family, and give up 
w T hat appeared to be too much of a roving life, for re- 
pose in the bosom of a family now anxiously awaiting 
my return. 

But when I thought of abandoning this people, and 
leaving them as sheep without a shepherd, I was in a 
strait betwixt two. At the close of my work, and while 
preparing for my journey, entreaty after entreaty was 
made, both by individuals and congregations, to return 
at my earliest possible convenience, if it were only to 
stay for a very short time. 

So, upon leaving them, I promised that after consult- 
ing with my family and friends, if I felt it to be the 
will of the Lord — and that was saying simply that if I 
felt it to be my duty — I would return. Upon my arrival 
at home I found all well, and everything prospering 
beyond my expectations. My son-in-law was preach- 
ing to the church with great acceptability, and the 
cause was prospering generally. Upon presenting the 
case of the cause in Missouri to my wife, she answered 
very calmly, that she had long since determined to 
leave all those matters at the bar of my own conscience; 
that if I felt it to be my duty to go, she should put no 



170 Autobiography of 

obstacle in my way; but if I felt that I could serve 
my Master as well at home, she would be happy. We 
prayed and talked much, however, upon the subject, un- 
til I think my wife began to feel that I ought to go back 
for a season, and help those people whom I had left in 
an almost helpless condition. 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 171 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

Fourth trip to Missouri. — Tricks of opposers. — Owens. — Bowman 
baptizes face-fore most.— His converts leave him.— An earnest call 
to return to Missouri. 

When I started again upon the journey, she said to 
me, " Go now, and the Lord be with you; but I hope 
you may, upon your return, be able to say, ' I have come 
home to stay/ But," she added, " the will of the Lord 
be done." To make a long story short, my work so in- 
creased upon my hands that, from week to week, as I 
proceeded, instead of seeing an end of it, it seemed to be 
but fairly beginning. Multitudes had yielded obedience 
to the faith ; multitudes more wefe almost persuaded. 
The country had undergone a complete religious revolu- 
tion. Our success had only added fuel to the flames of 
opposition ; so that there was now as great need as ever 
of bold and fearless defenders of the faith. Unfortu- 
nately, the young mfen who had begun preaching had 
not sufficient experience to conduct a successful campaign 
against their opposers. Some of them were young men 
of promise; but, being modest and timid, as well as 
inexperienced, I felt that it would work disastrously 
to commit to them alone the entire work of this large 
district. 

For the sake of decency, saying nothing of the effect 
upon the cause of Christianity, I would be ashamed to 
mention all the low and vulgar tricks resorted to for the 
purpose of bringing our cause into disrepute. No poli- 
tician could stoop much lower for the purpose of de- 
stroying the reputation, and overthrowing the cause, of 
an adversary, than some of the opposition did in their 
attempts to stay the tide of success that followed the 
proclamation of the Apostolic gospel in this country. 
We will not disguise the fact that these things were cal- 
culated to betray us into the use of much harsher Ian- 



172 Autobiography of 

guage towards our opposers than we can now approve. 
On one occasion, as I was reading from John Wesley's 
doctrinal tracts, to prove that he made as much of bap- 
tism as we did, and that he believed immersion to have 
been the ancient mode of baptism, a Class-leader by the 
name of Owens arose, and declared before a large audi- 
ence that what I was professing to read was all a lie of 
my own getting-up. After I showed him the texts I was 
reading, though he had to admit that the words were 
there, still he contended that it was a forgery ; that John 
Wesley never held such sentiments. 

Soon after this, I met Mr. Owens in company with his 
Presiding Elder, Mr. Compton, to whom I referred the 
question in dispute ; and, though his Presiding Elder 
agreed with me, still Mr. Owens insisted that what I had 
read upon the subject of baptism was a forgery, intro- 
duced for the purposfe of sustaining our cause. 

I had been preaching in the town of Pinckney, on the 
Missouri River, in the house of one Colonel Griswold, a 
man of high position in the neighborhood, who had 
generously opened his house to all who desired to use it 
for religious worship. But when our opposers discov- 
ered that we were getting the ears of the people and 
baptizing many of them, they petitioned Colonel Gris- 
wold to close the doors against us. They told him that 
I was a vile heretic, not to be tolerated ; that I denied 
the divinity of Christ; that I did not believe in the 
work of the Spirit ; that I had no use for saving faith ; 
that I substituted water in the place of the blood of 
Christ; and I know not how many vile slanders they 
circulated of the same sort. Mr. Griswold, however, 
informed my accusers that the house was his own, and he 
claimed the privilege of opening it to whomsoever he 
pleased. 

These foul slanders, which were circulated for the 
purpose of prejudicing our cause, had the very opposite 
effect ; for the people came to hear us in still greater 
numbers, and, becoming convinced from what they heard 
that we were a much abused people, their sympathies 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 173 

were enlisted in our favor, and multitudes were induced 
to bow to the authority of the Prince of Peace. Among 
the number was Colonel Griswold and his entire family, 
of whom we shall have more to say hereafter. It was not 
long before our opposers abandoned this house, assigning 
as a reason that they could not conscientiously occupy 
the same house with such vile heretics. So this fruitful 
field was left to me altogether. It was a school-boy saying 
in the olden times, that "Cheating luck can never thrive ;" 
and it is true now that the more unreasonable and vio- 
lent the opposition of our foes, the more assured will be 
our success, if we are found in the faithful discharge of 
duty. The last meeting held there by our opposers was 
conducted by a Mr. Bowman, whose converts refused to 
take sprinkling for baptism. He then proposed to im- 
merse them, but, with the exception of one youth, they 
all came to me, and requested baptism at my hands, say- 
ing that they would not consent to be immersed by one 
who did not believe in immersion himself. 

Bowman undertook to immerse one youth only. This 
boy he took down into the water, made him kneel, and 
then attempted to put him under face foremost. The 
boy, never having seen anything of this sort, resisted 
Bowman's attempt to thrust his head under the w T ater, 
broke away from him, and ran home. This youth also 
came to me, and I baptized him in a decent manner. I 
then sent the circuit-rider word to send all his converts 
to me, and I would take pleasure in baptizing them ac- 
cording to the ancient mode. Bowman returned the 
answer that I, in baptizing, introduced the candidate to 
his Master back foremost, and that he, with becoming re- 
spect, always introduced him face foremost. I could not 
help answering him again, that I did not doubt the fact 
that he held his master in very high esteem, and, from 
the fact that he always introduced persons to him face 
downwards, I must conclude that his master was from 
beneath ; that my Master being in the heavens, I was 
disposed to baptize with face upturned. This man, 
soon after the disgraceful affair with the boy, was 



174 Autobiography of 

taken down with a severe attack of chills, which he as- 
cribed to going into the water. I told him that he de- 
served to be severely shaken for attempting to scandalize 
a sacred ordinance in such a manner; that I hoped he 
might be shaken until thorough repentance was pro- 
duced. I record these facts simply for the sake of giv- 
ing some faint idea of the times of which I am speaking, 
and without endorsing altogether my own conduct in 
the premises. 

The meeting which I held in GriswokPs house re- 
sulted in more than forty additions, many of them being 
heads of families and leaders in society. After this, I 
was sent for to hold a meeting in a place called Sieter's 
Island, twelve miles above Pinckney. This was a very 
wealthy and godless neighborhood. There were a few 
honorable exceptions, but, as a rule, they were regular 
worshipers of mammon. This was in the neighborhood 
of an influential fkmily by the name of Shobe, relations 
of the Griswolds. This family received me with marked 
kindness, and attended to the things which they had 
heard. I conducted my meetings in a house belonging 
to the Baptists, and had the privilege of receiving an 
entire Baptist family into the church. Their name was 
Finney. Some time before, they had offered themselves 
for the purpose of joining the Baptist church, but objec- 
tion was made to Mr. Finney, because, in relating his 
experience, he was not willing to say that he beiieved 
himself to be the greatest sinner in the world. This he 
said he could not do without telling a falsehood. 

My next meeting was at the house of a sister by the 
name of Ray. At the conclusion of my first discourse, 
her daughter, who w T as confined to her bed with an attack 
of chills, made the confession, and desired to be im- 
mersed. I suggested to her that it might be proper to 
w T ait a few days; but she insisted upon being immersed 
immediately. We, therefore, conveyed her to the water, 
and immersed her, after which I learned that she never 
had another chill. I have no doubt but the treatment 
was the best that could have been practiced in her case. 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 175 

There is much foolish timidity indulged in by people of 
little experience in regard to going into water. Among 
all the thousands that I have seen baptized, I have never 
known one injured. 

During this missionary tour, I constituted several new 
congregations according to the Apostolic doctrine, the 
largest among them being the one on Burbois River, a 
tributary of the Merrimac. Philip Miller assisted me 
much in establishing this church. The people there very 
justly hold him in grateful remembrance. Our first ap- 
pearance in that neighborhood was under very unfavor- 
able circumstances, judging according to human judg- 
ment. Reports had gone out before us that we were 
coming to make war upon the Methodists, with the pur- 
pose of breaking up their churches, as it was reported I 
had done in Warren county. Of course, the object in 
circulating these stories was to forestall public opinion, 
and prevent us from getting a hearing. The devil is 
often caught in his own trap, and this was one of the in- 
stances. The effort made to keep people from hearing 
excited their curiosity, and brought them out by scores 
to hear. The most of them were disappointed, for they 
had expected to hear me abuse other people, and to use 
bitter epithets towards them. But, having heard nothing 
but the presentation, in a plain and simple style, of what 
I called the Gospel of Christ, they went away satisfied 
that we had been misrepresented. The consequence was 
that the gospel swept over that country like fire in stub- 
ble, and we left a large and flourishing church there. A 
remarkable incident occurred there, which is worth re- 
lating. 

A Methodist preacher by the name of Shockley, hav- 
ing become highly exasperated at us, came forward on 
one occasion, and opposed us in terms so harsh and un- 
reasonable that his talk sounded more like the ravings 
of a madman than the discourse of a preacher of the 
gospel. In the midst of his ravings, he was seized with 
convulsions, and fell to the floor as suddenly as if he had 
been shot. His friends were alarmed for him, as he lay 



176 Autobiography of 

like a dead man. He soon recovered, however, and, after 
giving us a patient hearing, acknowledged his error, em- 
braced those views which he had so violently opposed, 
and went forward, preaching the Apostolic doctrine with 
as much zeal as he had before opposed it. As far as I 
know, he continued faithful. I do not relate this for the 
purpose of conveying the idea that God struck this man 
down in this manner because he was opposing the truth. 
I suppose that his madness brought on convulsions, and 
that these convulsions brought him to his reason, and 
then reason owned the truth. 

I had here a little discussion with another preacher, 
whose name I have forgotten, but whose foolish objec- 
tion to immersion I remember well. It is strange how 
an objection so flimsy and groundless as the one he used 
should gain currency, and be considered of such import- 
ance as it is by the advocates of a bad cause. That is, 
if baptism is a condition of salvation, then the interest 
of the soul is suspended upon what might, in certain 
cases, become an impossibility; as, for instance, in dry 
countries, when there is not enough water to immerse in, 
or, in cold countries, when the water is all frozen. I an- 
swered him that no people had ever inhabited a country 
where water could not be found in sufficient quantities 
for purposes of immersion. They might pass through 
such a country, but, in the nature of things, it would be 
impossible for them to live there as permanent inhabi- 
tants ; and that, if it were possible for people to inhabit 
such countries, then they would be dealt with in the 
judgment on the principle that will govern the cases of 
deaf persons, who can not obey the command to hear; 
and as blind persons, who are commanded to look; or 
idiots, who are commanded to believe ; or dumb persons, 
who are commanded to sing, etc.: according to the rule 
that when much is given, much will be required; and 
that when little is given, little will be required. I added 
that my faith in God w r as such that, if it should become 
the duty of any one to live in a country where it was 
either so cold and frozen, or so dry and parched, that 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 177 

enough water could not be obtained for purposes of im- 
mersion, and that if the command was absolute, then 
I believed that God would dig a pool with his own hand, 
rather than allow his word to fail. 

Instead of spending three months on this mission, I 
saw no end to it until six months had expired. My 
last meeting was amongst the most successful. It was in 
St. John's meeting-house, in Franklin county. Several 
promising young men came in at that meeting who be- 
came very useful to the Church. Among them were the 
two Valentines. One of them I ordained, and he be- 
came a good teacher of Christianity. 

My labors having closed, I was ready and anxious to 
return to the bosom of my family once more. As I was 
about to start, petitions came in from various quarters 
urging me either to remain a little longer, or else return 
again and hold a few more meetings. Under all the cir- 
cumstances of the case, I was peculiarly embarrassed. I 
knew how important it was to the cause that some one 
of experience should be here a while longer. Being fa- 
miliar with the field, I could appreciate the feelings of 
the brethren and the demands of the case. To a man 
who really fears God, and appreciates the value of an 
immortal soul, it is no little thing to turn a deaf ear to 
the cries of men w T ho are ready to perish. I have been 
criticised for remaining so much away from home, as if 
I had a right to control my time and strength in any 
way that might suit my pleasure. But, in my case, the 
question stood thus : hundreds around me are perishing 
for the bread of life, which I have it in my power to 
supply without peril to either the souls or bodies of my 
own children. They are supplied with what is needful 
for the body, and have the blessed influences of religion 
pressing upon them on every side. They are in the 
midst of religious people; they have a godly mother, 
whose counsel and example is all that could be desired ; 
who prays with them, talks to them, and lives Christ 
before them. Now, if I turn my back upon these starv- 
ing souls, at whose door will the responsibility rest in 
8* 



178 Autobiography of 

the day of God, when they shall be driven away into 
outer darkness? Will none of them say to me, "You 
did it*? 

From considerations like these, I determined to say 
positively neither yea nor nay upon the subject, but to 
leave it an open question, to be decided by the best lights 
before me upon my arrival at home. This, however, I 
determined : that, if I should return, it would be to stay 
at least a year, and that my family must be with me; 
and so I stated to the brethren. This inspired them with 
some degree of hope, and, therefore, they prepared a pe- 
tition, setting forth in a preamble the necessities of the 
case, asking, by almost every consideration that could 
move us to decide favorably, that we consent to come 
and spend at least a year with them. They proposed to 
pay all the expenses of moving back and forth, and to 
compensate us reasonably for all the sacrifices we were 
called upon to make. With this petition, I returned 
home, and was almost ashamed to show it to my wife, or 
to intimate that I thought we ought to consider it favor- 
ably, so gracefully and cheerfully had she heretofore 
yielded to every demand of a like nature. In due time, 
however, I handed her the petition, and, after a most 
solemn and prayerful consideration of it, shall I say she 
decided it to be our duty to go? Yes, to the praise of 
that woman, be it said ; that woman whose first and 
highest aim always was to have the smiles and approba- 
tion of her God ; that woman to whom I owe more than 
to all others; that woman to whom the world is indebted 
more than can ever be repaid. Her comfort, her con- 
venience, her pleasure, she was never known to bring 
into the account against her duty to God. When but a 
young bride, I was called to my country's service, and, 
with a bright face and tearful eye, she said-, " Go, and the 
Lord keep you." And since the first day that God 
called me to fight in the army of King Jesus, she said, 
" Go." The only change she made in the premises was, 
that we should stay two years, and by that time I might 
have my work in shape to leave it. 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 179 



CHAPTER XXVII r. 

Fifth tour to Missouri. —Baptism of a dying girl. — Revival in Gascon- 
ade Valley. — A house built and the cause permanent. — Young 
Hopson shaving shingles. — He rises above suspicion. — A traveling 
companion for two years.— His politeness and humility. — One 
makes the log-heap, the other fires it. — The teacher sits at the 
feet of the pupil. — Ham's text; foolish preaching. — Thomas M. 
Allen. 

I rented out my little farm in the month of Septem- 
ber, and, having put my affairs in shape for the journey, 
started for Missouri. About the first of October, we 
landed at South Point, and took up our abode at Gris- 
wold City, a village near by, where we had our head- 
quarters for about a year. 

I reaped the first important fruits of this mission in a 
rich and beautiful valley of the Gasconade River, in 
Gasconade county. In this grand valley lived a number 
of wealthy families, who had moved from the south 
branch of the Potomac, Virginia, and among whom the 
most prominent names were : the Parsons, Shobes, Hulls, 
Atkinses, Perines. These people had brought with them 
not only much wealth, but a large amount of worldly 
wisdom and pride. The men of the valley were mainly 
unbelievers, and some were almost scoffers at religion. 

The circumstance that led to the introduction of the 
gospel into this valley, and to the conversion of this 
carnal-minded people, was as follows: The eldest 
daughter of James Parsons, being in a state of declining 
health, had been staying at her aunt Griswold's, under 
the treatment of a physician. During this sojourn, hav- 
ing availed herself of the opportunity to hear me preach, 
she became convinced of the truth, and demanded bap- 
tism at my hands. But her physician prevented the 
accomplishment of her desire. Meanwhile, the poor 
girl returned home, and, finding that her days upon 



180 Autobiography of 

earth were about numbered, she desired her father, who 
was an unconverted man, to baptize her. He declined, 
saying, that he was not worthy to perform so sacred a 
rite. But his daughter still urged him to baptize her, 
saying, that she understood me to teach that the validity 
of an ordinance does not depend upon the administrator. 
The family, and all of the friends, were deeply moved 
by the entreaties of the dying girl ; but they felt them- 
selves helpless in her presence. They sent far and near 
for a preacher, but none could be found. The hour of 
her dissolution was rapidly approaching, and the family 
were suffering the most painful suspense, lest the girl 
should die without an opportunity of consummating the 
desire of her believing heart. In the midst of this sus- 
pense the dear child solved the problem, and was conse- 
quently relieved. She remembered that the old colored 
" mammy " of the family, was a pious, God-fearing 
woman; she called her and demanded baptism at her 
hands. The poor old servant could not deny her young 
mistress anything that would make her happy, and, more 
especially, when she was in so much distress; so she con- 
sented, and, a bath-tub being provided, Sarah, the be- 
lieving girl, was baptized by the old nurse, and was 
happy from that hour to the time of her death. This 
was eloquent preaching to that worldly-minded peo- 
ple ; it was the opening of the iron doors of many hearts 
to the reception of the gospel. 

The dying girl, having learned that it was expected 
that I would soon arrive at Griswold, sent word to her 
aunt, that if, upon my arrival, she w r as still living, I 
must come immediately to see her; but, if she should die 
before my coming, it was her request that I should 
preach her funeral. A few days after we landed, the 
news came that the dear child of faith was dead, and I 
hastened to fulfill her dying request. The funeral was 
preached at her father's house, where were assembled 
those worldly-minded men, whose hearts had never yet 
been touched by gospel truth. Judging by what I then 
saw — and afterwards learned — very few of those proud 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 181 

men left the house as they had come into it. The story 
of the conversion, baptism, and happy death of Sarah 
Parsons, was the wedge that opened their minds and 
hearts. All knew her and loved her. I had then only 
to preach to them Jesus, and the work was done. Eter- 
nity alone can tell the result of that day's work. 

I continued preaching in that valley, more or less, for 
months, which resulted in the conversion of a large ma- 
jority of the people, and the erection of a house of worship 
which, I believe, is standing yet, though only occupied 
once or twice a year, owing to the fact that the organi- 
zation removed to a new church, which they built at 
Chamois, a short distance, only, away. 

The work which I accomplished, as an humble instru- 
ment under God, in Gasconade Valley, has been the 
source of great joy, not only to myself, but also to hun- 
dreds who date their conversion from that revival. 
More than thirty years after that time, I met a German 
preacher by the name of Stirwig, who told me that the 
truth first broke in upon his mind at one of my Gascon- 
ade meetings. He moved to Texas; was there baptized 
by one of our brethren, and since that time has devoted 
his talents and money to the gospel. I also, last year, 
met an old colored preacher, who was converted at the 
same time, and who is now a pious, humble, intelligent 
proclaimer of the ancient gospel. 

About this time I was approached by a tall, spare 
youth of about eighteen summers, neat in his attire; 
graceful, gentle and dignified in his bearing; with an in- 
telligent eye and charming voice — altogether, such a 
one as would at once command respect, and, at the same 
time, excite the suspicion of the beholder that he might 
be a scion of the stock of F. F. "VVs, of old colony 
times. He bore letters from Abram Miller, of Millers- 
burg, Calloway county, recommending him to me as a 
pious youth, who desired to devote his life to the work 
of the ministry, and who wished to place himself under 
my care. He also brought letters highly commendatory 
to Philip Miller, then of Franklin county. Philip 



182 Autobiography of 

Miller was a man of great goodness of heart, but very 
plain-spoken, and sometimes blunt — almost offensively 
so. When the young man approached Miller, Miller 
was busy shaving shingles, and, as if to test him, asked 
the very blunt question : " Young man, do you think 
you are of any account? Can you shave shingles?" 
" I suppose I can," was the reply. " Well," said Miller, 
"take off your coat and try." The youth, nothing 
daunted, threw off his coat, took hold of the drawing 
knife with his white, tender hands, and went to work as 
if he had served an apprenticeship at the business of 
shingle-making. 

A few minutes satisfied Miller that the handsome 
youth was no humbug ; so he urged him to resign the 
knife, saying, " That w T ill do, sir." This, to us, appears 
a trifling incident; but it was enough to endear the 
young man to Philip Miller for life; it was the begin- 
ning of a lasting friendship. Years afterwards I heard 
Philip Miller tell how his admiration had been excited 
by the simple determination expressed on this occasion 
by the youth, and how his sympathies had been aroused 
by the discovery of great blisters, which the knife had 
raised on the delicate hands. 

This young man placed himself at once under my 
care, for the purpose of training himself to the hard- 
ships of the Christian warfare; and I take pleasure in 
bearing witness that this young Timothy served his 
father for two years, as faithfully and lovingly as any 
Timothy could serve. At first I put him to blowing and 
striking for me — to use a blacksmith's phrase — but, 
finding him a young man of great promise, I put him in 
the lead, requiring him to deliver the opening discourses, 
generally, while I followed with exhortation. I have 
had a long and a varied experience in helping young 
men into usefulness; but have never been better satisfied 
with the progress of any man with whom I have been 
associated, than the young man, Winthrop Hopson. 

His discourses were finely arranged ; quite logical, 
clear and forcible. They were always delivered in the 



Elder Samuel Eogehs. 183 

finest language, yet presented in a manner so simple that 
a child could comprehend them. On this account I 
generally put him forward to preach the sermons, and I 
followed with exhortations. In this way we labored to- 
gether to great profit; for his forte was preaching; mine, 
exhortation. We always traveled together, and in the 
circuit of four or five counties, accomplished a grand 
and glorious work, which eternity alone can fully reveal. 

The old men to this day dwell with animation upon 
the transactions of those primitive times, when I did the 
grubbing, and Winthrop piled the brush ; or, when 
Winthrop made the log-heaps, and I fired them. Or, in 
a different phrase, they speak of his shooting with a rest, 
always hitting the mark ; and of my shooting off-hand, 
taking the game on the wing. These phrases, homely 
though they be, very aptly describe the manner of our 
work. This very difference in manner and method, gave 
efficiency to our labors, and made each more useful to the 
other. Our union was sweet, and our harmony complete 
throughout the campaign. Winthrop sat at my feet, 
like a little child, to receive, both by precept and ex- 
ample, all I had to give that would make him useful in 
the vineyard of his Master; and I sometimes found it 
profitable to reverse the order and become his pupil. 
Him I found to be an accomplished scholar; and I knew 
myself to be very defective, even in the King's English; 
so I requested him to criticise and correct me, when 
there should be necessity for it, and to do this without 
hesitation. This he did; but with a manner so humble 
and gracious, as to almost make me feel that my fault 
was a virtue. Dear boy, how I loved him ! 

I have said that he was always neat in his dress, and 
dignified in his bearing. Owing to this fact, many poor 
people appeared a little shy of him on first acquaintance. 
To dwell in log cabins and dress in homespun, was the 
style in those days in that country. Upon entering the 
cabins of these lowly people, Winthrop was quick to de- 
tect the cause of shyness upon the part of the inmates, 
and always ready to remove it by his easy, gentle way 



184 Autobiography of 

of making himself perfectly at home, and appearing as 
if he had been used to nothing better in all his life. He 
was a very magnet to little children, and possessed that 
rare faculty of remembering their names, so that, meet 
them where he might, he would address them by their 
proper names, and make them feel easy in his presence. 
He was never vulgarly familiar with any one, old or 
young, and was never guilty of the use of slang phrases, 
and could not be tempted to approach even the precincts 
of a conversation vulgar or smutty. When he entered 
a house, it seemed to be his first study to avoid giving 
trouble to any one. Winthrop H. Hopson had then, 
and now has, the appearance of being stiff and proud ; 
but this is only the man as he appears to the stranger. 
Let him come near to you, and all this appearance of 
haughtiness and pride will vanish; for, it is like beauty, 
only skin deep. To know him and to love him, your 
acquaintance must extend beneath the surface. I wish 
the young men of this day, who have not one-half so 
much to puff them up with pride as he had, were as 
humble and teachable as he. Being handsome and ac- 
complished, and belonging to a family which took rank 
among the best of that country, or any other country, 
it is not strange that he should have been greatly loved 
and honored by the young and old of all classes. But 
it is passing strange that his head should not have been 
a little turned by the attentions and compliments he re- 
ceived. 

I never knew him to compromise his dignity in any 
manner; what is better, he maintained a pure and spot- 
less character. 

Winthrop prudently avoided the meshes of matri- 
mony, as well as every appearance of the kind, until 
after our separation; then he married a charming Chris- 
tian girl, whom I had baptized — Rebecca Parsons, the 
fourth daughter of Col. James Parsons, before alluded to. 

We found many of the preachers in the bounds of 
our circuit to be shamefully ignorant and conceited. I 
give below a specimen which may suffice: On a certain 



Eldeb Samuel Rogers. 185 

occasion, as Winthrop and I were on our way to Gas- 
conade, w r e came to a school-house, and, halting, learned 
that a meeting was in progress there. Winthrop pro- 
posed that we should hitch our horses, and hear a ser- 
mon. Accordingly, we entered, took our seats near the 
door, so as to create as little disturbance as possible. 
We found that the pulpit was occupied by the Bev. Mr. 
Ham, a Baptist preacher, who was in the midst of a dis- 
course, in which he was attempting to establish his call 
to the ministry. Among other proofs, he quoted from 
I. Cor. i. 21: u For after that, in the wisdom of God, 
the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God, by 
the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe." 
Either in haste or ignorance, or both, he quoted the pas- 
sage : " It pleased God, by foolish preaching, to save," 
etc. Now, my tongue has always been an unruly mem- 
ber, but that day it was especially unruly, so that, before 
I had time to bridle it, I cried out: " Thank God, if 
foolish preaching will save Missouri, she is indeed safe." 
Poor, modest Winthrop could not stand his ground, but 
bolted in an instant. Not so with Ham. He seemed 
delighted with my compliment, having failed entirely to 
catch my idea. When I rejoined Winthrop, and re- 
hearsed the outcome of the matter, he seemed to be as 
much relieved as he was amused at the man's ignorance. 

There are those, perhaps, who may think that I should 
not have said so much about my Timothy. But such 
persons must know that what I have said is specially for 
the benefit of young preachers, who, when they read 
this, may take my boy-preacher for a pattern. I do not 
know that w r hat I am writing will ever see the light; 
lest it should, I must add a few more words upon the 
same subject, and for the same purpose. 

No loving son could ever be more attentive to the 
wants of a father, than was Winthrop Hopson to mine. 
On stopping for the night, his first and increasing care 
was my comfort. I must be first seated, must have the 
best chair, and have it in the best place. If there were 
two beds offered us, I must have choice; or, if we had to 



186 Autobiography of 

occupy the same bed, I must have choice of sides. In 
those clays money was scarce, and came to us in small in- 
stallments. When money was offered to him, he was in 
the habit of refusing it, as I learned, by saying, "I am 
young and have no family, I can get along without it; 
give it to Uncle Sam; he has a large family to support, 
and needs all he can get." Thus he was ever regarding 
my welfare, and in his unselfishness forgetting his own 
comfort and convenience. 

On one occasion, as we were going to an appointment 
on the head waters of the Burbois River, we came to a 
tributary that was so swollen by a recent rain, that we 
were unable to ford it, and our embarrassment was in- 
creased by the fact that the canoe was on the other side. 
Winthrop, without a word, stripped himself, plunged into 
the turbid stream, and brought the canoe over, so that 
we were enabled to get across in good plight, and to 
meet our engagement promptly. How all this contrasts 
with that class of coarse, ill-bred young men, who act as 
if they suppose people will not hold them in honor, un- 
less they are very peevish, fretful, fault-finding, and 
troublesome, in general. 

Thirty years full of import, full of change and disap- 
pointment, have been numbered with those beyond the 
flood, since Winthrop and I traversed the Missouri hills 
and valleys together, bearing the joyful tidings of peace 
and love to the listening multitudes. But the results of 
the work begun by us will never pass away. At this 
distance from the scene, it were vain for me to attempt 
a description in detail, of the work w T hich was accom- 
plished. Whole communities, almost, were turned from 
the service of sin unto the service of God. Where only 
the songs of the reveler had been heard before, you 
could now hear the songs of praises to our God. Family 
after family was completely transformed. I have reason 
to think that, when Winthrop and I get home, we will 
find a blessed congregation of those dear souls who were 
brought to Christ under our preaching, waiting for us at 
the gate. 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 187 

It was with a heavy heart that I began to realize the 
near approach of the end of my missionary work in this 
country. Yet I had the consolation to know that God 
had raised up men in this district, in whose hands the 
cause of truth would not suffer. If there had been no 
other, I could have entrusted the work to the hands of 
my Timothy with utmost confidence. But then there 
were others coming into usefulness. I can not name 
them all, but will speak of Jas. K. Rule, Ira and Levi 
Valentine, young men of promise ; also Brother Shock- 
ley, who bid very fair to become useful as a proclaimer. 
Besides, our beloved brother, T. M. Allen, was now ex- 
tending his labors to this district of country. These 
noble young men, with the wise counsels of Brother 
Allen, I felt assured would be quite able to carry on the 
begun work without my assistance. T. M. Allen was 
Missouri's model evangelist and pioneer preacher. Hav- 
ing talents of a high order, a liberal education, refined 
manners, and a commanding appearance, with the gospel 
at his tongue's end, it is not strange that he became at 
once the model and teacher of so many young men of 
that region. I have heard it said that he could put 
more Bible truth into, a single sermon than any man 
west of the Mississippi. It was fortunate for the young 
preachers of the State of Missouri, and for the cause 
they advocated, that they had such a model. I have 
heard this fact given as the main reason why the Mis- 
souri preachers of the present generation have taken 
such high rank, not only in their own State, but where- 
ever they have lived and labored. I have fancied that 
I could see something of T. M. Allen in most of those 
with whom I am acquainted. 



188 Autobiography of 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

Leaves Missouri and sojourns awhile in Guernsey county, Indiana. 
—No rest for him who is called to save souls.— Settles in Car- 
lisle, Ky. — Preaches at Indian Creek, Carlisle, and in Jessamine 
county. — Elkhorn Mission to the mountains.— William Rogers, 
with one wife and twenty -two children.— How he talked to the 
mountaineers about guns.— Crying babes. —William Jarrott. 

At the close of my two years' mission in Missouri, I 
had not at my command money sufficient to defray our 
expenses back to our old home. I was looking forward 
to the " enduring substance/' which was being laid up 
during those years of toil and care, where moth and rust 
can not corrupt. Thank God that, in the world to come, 
we will get all our back-pay, with interest compounded. 
Having borrowed money sufficient for our expenses, we 
moved late in the autumn of 1843 as far on our way as 
Guernsey county, Indiana, where my son-in-law, William 
Utler, then lived. Here we sojourned for the winter 
and part of the summer following. After the incessant 
work and anxiety of the past three years, I had now for 
a season comparative rest, though all the time busy in 
doing what I could in confirming saints and turning the 
minds of the unconverted to God. 

I am now a very old man, and very nearly worn out 
in my Master's cause, yet I have never been in a field so 
barren that some fruit might not be gathered for Christ"; 
nor have I ever been so tired that I did not feel myself 
able to do some work in the Lord's vineyard. Preachers 
of the gospel, if called to seek and to save the lost by a 
conviction of duty deep down in the heart, will accept 
no furlough here ; nor can they be contented in idleness 
for a single day. If, however, they are working for 
money, or praise from men, they will become tired and 
quit the field when these motives are withdrawn. In 
the olden times, we were often puzzled to determine as 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 189 

to the genuineness of our call to the ministry. I have, 
however, no difficulty now in settling that question. If 
the preacher's call is genuine, he will never tire ; he will 
" not fail, nor be discouraged." 

The beloved Johnson used to say that he wanted no 
rest; that he would not receive a furlough. Said he: 
" If my Lord and Master were to come to me from the 
skies, and were to say, i You have been toiling hard 
for many years, and have endured many hardships for 
my name's sake, now take your rest; you have done 
enough ; ' I would say to him, ' Please, Master, let me 
work a little longer in this glorious cause ; it is so de- 
lightful to work for you. Do not, Lord, deprive me of 
the exquisite pleasure of serving thee/ " 

During my sojourn in Indiana, I found plenty to do, 
though the field was not so inviting as I could desire. I 
visited many sick persons, and gave relief to many. 
Some there were, however, who, in spite of any words 
of comfort I had to offer, passed into the shades of death 
in hopeless despair. It is a fearful sight to behold a man 
die in despair who has been in sight of life and in easy 
reach of salvation all his days. 

Early in the summer of 1844, leaving my family with 
my son-in-law in Indiana, I visited my old neighborhood 
in Ohio, having been absent for more than two years. I 
found things greatly changed in many respects. I still had 
many warm friends there, but, in my absence, certain sen- 
timents had obtained a footing among them which I had 
reason to believe might antagonize my usefulness to such 
an extent as to make it expedient for me to seek some 
other field. So, upon rejoining my family, it was deter- 
mined that we should settle in Carlisle, Ky., the home 
of my brother, John Rogers, and the neighborhood of 
many dear and tried friends. My brother John Rogers 
and my son John assisted us in moving, and, by their 
aid, I was enabled to obtain a comfortable home in Car- 
lisle. Though my brother had been preaching for this 
church more than a quarter of a century, yet, in his un- 
selfishness, he induced the brethren to employ me one- 



190 Autobiography of 

fourth of my time, and to otherwise assist me in securing 
a support for my family. Though my brother John was 
a very frugal man, and a model economist, and thus 
prospered in the world, yet, in acts of Christian benevo- 
lence, there were few, if any, preachers in Kentucky 
who surpassed him. He fulfilled the Scriptures in this, 
that he did not look on his own things only, but also on 
the things of others. He contributed much to my com- 
fort during my stay in Carlisle, not only by securing me 
in employment at home, but also by getting employment 
for me abroad. 

There was a small church, about midway between 
Millersburg and Cynthiana, called Indicutts, or Indian 
Creek. Several prominent members of this church were 
old friends and acquaintances of mine ; so soon, there- 
fore, as they heard of my arrival in the community, they 
invited me to preach one Lord's day in each month 
there. This I consented to do for about fifty dollars a 
year, which was equivalent to two hundred dollars for 
my whole time. This was about one-third less than or- 
dinary country salaries at that time. The balance of my 
time was taken up in evangelizing in Jessamine county, 
in conjunction with my brother John Rogers. Our work 
was distributed chiefly between the congregations of 
Keene, Liberty, Old Jessamine and Bethlehem; though 
w r e preached a few times during the year at other points. 
I do not remember the exact number gathered into these 
congregations by our joint labors that season ; I only 
remember that we had many very successful meetings, 
and that there was a general awakening throughout the 
county on the subject of religion. 

While preaching at Keene, I was sent for to baptize 
a Mr. Davis, who had been so reduced by a spell of pro- 
tracted sickness that his physician thought he could not 
recover. On my arrival at the house of the sick man, I 
learned that his physician, or rather his physicians, 
father and son, who were known by the name of Young, 
had peremptorily forbidden his being baptized. Believ- 
ing, from a long experience in such cases, that it could do 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 191 

the man no harm, but might be of great advantage to 
him, I immersed him in spite of the physicians' protest. 
Not long after this, in passing on to an appointment, my 
brother and I stopped on the way at the house of old 
Father Symmes, in Nicholasville. Here I learned that 
the elder Dr. Young had threatened to cane me on sight; 
and that he had been heard to say that, if Mr. Davis 
should die, he intended to have the " old Campbellite" 
tried for murder. The following day we passed by the 
house of Dr. Young, but heard nothing from him. I 
would not have been alarmed at meeting a dozen such 
men as Dr. Young, for I have long since learned that 
barking dogs rarely ever bite. On arriving at the place 
of our meeting, we were happy to learn that Brother 
Davis had so far recovered as to be able to ride to town, 
and purchase a Bible, which he was reading with great 
delight, and that he was among the happiest of living men. 

That same year we had happy seasons at Indieott's. 
Brother Jack Hatlan assisted me in a series of meetings, 
which resulted in many additions to the church and in 
infusing new life into the members generally. I was 
seven years in Carlisle, preaching there one-fourth of 
my time ; at Indicotts one-fourth, and the residue of my 
time I devoted to evangelizing, either in the employ of 
the State Board, or of some county cooperation, or some 
congregation. 

I can not now recall the fact whether these years 
were seven years of scarcity or plenty, in a temporal 
sense ; but I well remember they were years which 
yielded a copious harvest of souls throughout Kentucky. 
Those were the palmy days of Johnson, Gano, John 
Smith, Rieketts, Rice, Hall, Raines, Tompkins, Mor- 
ton, John Rogers, and others, who spent much of their 
time in evangelical work. 

The South Elkhorn congregation, always foremost in 
Christian liberality, and most active in every good work, 
having heard the Macedonian cry coming from the moun- 
tain districts of Kentucky, and wishing to respond at 
once, called me to labor in Estill, Owsley and some 



192 AUTOBIOGEAPHY OF 

other mountain counties. While in the employ of this 
congregation, I devoted half my time each month to this 
mountain mission. 

On my first trip, I visited Irvin, Miller's Creek and 
Proctor, at the Three Forks of the Kentucky River, 
with forty baptisms as the result of these meetings. I 
was much pleased with the mountain people generally. 
It is true, they do not pay as much attention to their 
bodies as the people do in the plains, but I am inclined 
to the opinion that, according to their opportunities, 
they are more attentive to the interests of their souls. It 
was not unusual for them to come five or ten miles on 
foot to hear preaching; and, after traveling this great 
distance, they manifested no weariness whatever, but 
would listen for any length of time without complaint. 

At that time there was not a wagon in Owsley county, 
and very few in Estill. Horses were also scarce, and 
saddles a rarity. Consequently, the people accustomed 
themselves to traveling on foot almost altogether, so that 
it was no great hardship. One lady came on foot eight 
miles to hear me, and, becoming convinced that she 
ought to confess and obey Christ her Saviour, she asked 
her husband if he had any objection to her doing so ; 
but his opposition was so bitter that she returned home 
without submitting to the gospel. The next day, how- 
ever, she was upon the ground, as anxious as ever to 
confess, but, through the opposition of friends, she was 
again hindered from doing so. But she would not 
give it up, and the following day was upon the ground 
again, having traveled in three days forty-eight miles. 
She was now so importunate that her husband yielded to 
her wishes, and permitted her to be baptized. I shall 
never forget the joyful expression of her countenance 
when she came forward to own the Saviour. After her 
baptism she went on her way rejoicing, and we all re- 
joiced with her, so joyous and buoyant was she. We met 
her afterwards, and observed that she appeared as one 
that had been condemned to die but had been reprieved. 

Up to this time, there had not appeared upon the 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 193 

streets of Proctor such a thing as a wagon, carriage, or 
buggy. There were people around there who had never 
seen a four-wheeled carriage of any kind. All goods 
were brought to the town on small crafts, which were 
cordelled up the river by boatmen, who made a business 
of drawing boats up or down the river. 

On my first trip to the mountains, I made the acquain- 
tance of Brother William Rogers, a superior mountain 
preacher. He had sown the good seed of the gospel 
broadcast over a large district of country. He was in- 
dustrious and frugal, but, having a living family of twen- 
ty-two children (all by one wife), he could not maintain 
them and give as much of his time to preaching as the 
cause demanded. On my return home, I went to Lex- 
ington, and laid his case before the State Missionary 
Board, recommending him as the most suitable man 
they could employ to labor in his district of the moun- 
tains. Consequently his services were obtained by them, 
and I believe he remained in their employ to the time 
of his death. We were often together during my labors 
in the mountains, and I can say with truth that a more 
agreeable colaborer I never had in my life. We held 
a successful meeting at Proctor, in a large warehouse 
which had been fitted up and furnished for the occasion, 
there being no house of worship in the place at that 
time. The people came in vast crowds to hear — men, 
women, children, and even little infants were brought. 
The last named did not hear much, but, on the contrary, 
by the concerts which they carried on, they kept a great 
many from hearing, aside from their mothers. Most of 
the time I got along bravely ; but, at times, it seemed to 
me that every babe in the congregation was squalling, 
and that every babe in the whole country was in the 
house. Some of our nervous preachers, had they been 
there, would have suffered sorely, I fear. These poor 
mothers were under the necessity either of staying at 
home, or of bringing the little ones with them. These 
mothers chose the latter course, and I commended them 
for it. Under such circumstances^ mothers are rather to 

9 



194 Autobiography of 

be pitied than blamed. Preachers should cultivate pa- 
tience in all such cases. The men, with but few excep- 
tions, were rough-looking fellows, though they behaved 
with becoming propriety in the house of worship. You 
might have often seen them coming to meeting with 
rifles on their shoulders, except on Sundays, especially 
those who lived at a distance. Upon entering the house, 
they were in the habit of stacking their arms carefully 
in one corner, together with hunting-pouch and horn, 
then seating themselves with an air of composure which 
indicated that they were now ready for the service. 

Brother William Rogers, having been reared up among 
these people, knew exactly how to talk to them. It ex- 
cited my admiration not a little to observe how apt and 
ready he was with illustrations, exactly suited to com- 
mand and rivet attention, and to carry conviction to the 
mind. On a certain occasion he proceeded to meet the false 
accusation so commonly and persistently brought against 
us, that we, as a people, reject the Old Testament Scrip- 
tures; and, as near as I can recall his argument, it was 
as follows : " My friends, you have heard it reported 
that we reject the Old Testament Scriptures as altogether 
useless, and I want to show you exactly the use we have 
for both the Old and the New. A greater mistake could 
not be made than to say that we have not constant use 
for the whole book. Indeed, we teach that the Old 
Testament is the foundation on which the New rests, 
and that the New Testament would be void had it not 
been for the Old. The two, to be effective, must be 
taken in their proper connection together. Some of you 
have brought your rifles with you to-day, which I will 
use for an illustration in this connection. You see this 
gun has two sights attached to it. The foremost sight, 
you see, is a bright bead of silver near the muzzle, or 
mouth of the rifle. The hindermost sight, you see, is a 
small piece of steel, with a very small notch in it. This 
sight is placed near the breech of the gun, as you see. 
Now let me ask you, What are the uses of those things 
we call sights? You answer that they are attached to 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 195 

the rifle to enable us to hit the mark or object at which 
we aim. In taking aim, you look through the hinder- 
most sight in such manner as to bring the foremost sight 
in exact range with the object which you wish to strike. 
You all can see at once that, if you were to use the fore- 
sight, without regard to the other, your shooting would 
be at random, so that, ninety-nine times out of a hun- 
dred, you would miss your aim; but when the front 
sight fills the notch of the hindermost one, and ranges 
exactly with the mark or object aimed at, you can not 
miss it if your rifle is good. Now, the Old Testament, 
with its types, shadows and prophecies, is the hindermost 
sight. The New Testament, with its exact fulfillment 
of all the types and prophecies, is the front sight. The 
object is Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Saviour 
of sinners. So that, by looking through the Old Testa- 
ment on to the New, which is the fulfilment of the Old, 
we can not fail to see Christ, for the eye will be brought 
to bear exactly upon Him. You see, then, the use we 
have for the Old Scriptures, and how it is that neither 
the Old nor the New can be used to advantage alone. " 

You may think it strange that I listened to this dis- 
course with divided attention. I was intensely interested 
in the argument all the way through ; but there was 
something else that equally claimed my attention. It was 
to see how those sturdy huntsmen listened. They leaned 
forward, with eyes, ears and mouth opened wide, as if to 
see, hear and drink in every word spoken. Such listen- 
ers are enough to inspire any speaker ; and I may add 
that such speaking as that will make good listeners of 
almost any people. The secret of it was, that he talked 
to the people about things which they understood, and 
in language suited to their capacity. 

At the time of his marriage, Elder William Rogers 
did not know a letter in the alphabet. His wife became 
his teacher, and, under her instruction, he soon became 
qualified to read that blessed book which was afterwards 
his life-time companion. I have heard him speak with 
much feeling of how much he was indebted to his w T ife 



196 Autobiography of 

for all that he had been as a preacher of the gospel. By 
close application he became thoroughly familiar with his 
Bible, and one of the most successful mountain preachers 
of the State. He had a fine memory, and held the 
Scriptures on his tongue's end. He was by nature a 
man of strong mind, and had a keen sense of propriety. 
He was humble, really so ; contrasting with the entire 
class of vain men who, unfortunately, often find their 
way into the pulpit, to the disgust of all sensible people. 
There is much meaning in the rough saying, that it is a 
great thing for any one to have sense enough to prevent 
him from making a fool of himself. My dear old friend 
and brother had that kind of sense in an eminent degree. 

I attribute the success of William Rogers mainly to 
the fact that he accommodated his discourses to the ca- 
pacity of all his hearers. The aged, middle-aged and 
young alike listened with profound attention to every 
word which fell from his lips. To use a huntsman's ex- 
pression, he never overshot his game. There was a sim- 
plicity and directness in his discourse that commanded 
the attention of all who heard him. I have had the 
privilege of hearing great men and learned men speak, 
but no man ever interested me more than William Rogers. 

It must not be understood that, because the mountain 
people are comparatively poor, they are, therefore, igno- 
rant. I found in my travels quite a number of persons 
who were as well informed and, upon all practical ques- 
tions, as intelligent as the people of the more favored 
Blue Grass Region. I regret to record the fact that in 
some places I could find neither Bible nor Testament. I 
have always been in sympathy with those societies that 
have for their object the circulation of the Bible, and 
have been in the habit of contributing something annu- 
ally to their support. I do not think that the religious 
world is sufficiently alive to the work of sending the 
Bible to the poor. If we had the secret history of a 
single Bible, like that one, for instance, that my mother 
carried with her to the Territory of New Spain in the 
year 1801 — how many minds it had enlightened, how 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 197 

many hearts it had cheered, how often it had given 
strength to withstand trial and temptation — I have 
thought we would have all loved the book more, and be 
more active in its circulation. And of all the people on 
earth, I think we, who claim so much for the Bible, 
ought to be the most active and untiring in securing 
this much-desired object. We take the Bible, without 
note or comment, for our creed, and claim that it is 
enough as to doctrine, correction, reproof, instruction in 
righteousness, to thoroughly furnish the man of God 
unto every good work ; and we ought to spare no pains 
in putting it into the hands of the people. 

At the close of my Elkhorn mission, the Kentucky 
Missionary Board called Brother William Jarrott and 
me to labor for a few weeks on the waters of the Ka- 
nawha and Coal rivers, bordering on the Virginia line. 
We labored together upon this tour about six weeks, 
preaching every day, and most of the time twice a day, to 
good audiences. We found the people anxious to hear the 
gospel, and many of them ready to obey. The people in 
that country had heard many ridiculous stories about our 
people, and were agreeably surprised to find that we 
really believed Jesus Christ to be a divine person; that 
we believed in a change of heart in conversion, and that 
we taught that every converted man must receive and 
enjoy the Holy Spirit. We had several successful meet- 
ings; brought back to the fellowship several wanderers ; 
baptized quite a number, and re-organized two or three 
scattered congregations. One young man promised to 
devote himself to the ministry of the Word, who, as I 
have since learned, has become an able and useful 
preacher. I believe he was of the name of Miller. In 
the town of Moscow, all the meeting-houses were closed 
against us; so we went to work raising money to build 
a house for our own people, and succeeded beyond our 
expectation. So much to the account of a little sectarian 
bigotry and proscription. 

Brother Jarrott had been born and reared up to man- 
hood in this country. Here his kindred and many old 



198 Autobiography of 

friends still lived. He left the land of his nativity when 
quite young, and before giving any promise of strength 
or usefulness in the cause of his Master ; now he returns 
in the prime and strength of his manhood, and burning 
with zeal to tell to friends and kindred the glad story of 
salvation through the name of a crucified Redeemer. 
His early familiarity with the habits and manners of the 
people enabled him to accommodate himself to their un- 
derstanding very readily, making him quite an able co- 
worker. His early opportunities for acquiring an educa- 
tion had been poor; but having formed in his mind the 
purpose of becoming a proclaimer of the gospel, he de- 
voted himself to study for a year or two, and then went 
into the field and began to practice upon what he had 
learned, prosecuting his studies as he went, making the 
Bible his chief text-book, until he became a workman 
of considerable skill. He was a man of extraordinary 
physical frame, and of great muscular power. There 
was no apparent end to liis energy, perseverance and 
endurance. He was endowed w T ith a pair of powerful 
lungs, could sing tolerably well, and loud enough to fill 
any common house. Though exhortation was his forte, 
enabling him at times to carry his hearers almost to 
sublime hights, yet he was by no means trifling or weak 
in argument. I have heard him in argumentation deal 
real sledge-hammer strokes with an unrelenting hand, 
which were sufficient to break in pieces the idols of false 
worshipers. William Jarrott had no mercy on error, 
nor on any who had fellowship with error. He was a 
man of warm heart, of generous and noble impulses, 
lie could weep over the afflictions and misfortunes of 
men with a flood of tears; but, if you wished to see 
the tiger aroused from his lair, you had but to pervert 
the truth, or show a disposition to deal unfairly with his 
Master. I have learned to love William Jarrott with a 
brother's love. William, if what I have said should 
ever come to your sight, you will know what an old sol- 
dier thinks of you, and it may stimulate you to struggle 
in your arduous labors. 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 199 



CHAPTER XXX. 

John T. Johnson. — John G. Tompkins. — Great ingathering at 
Somerset. — Spencer. — Owingsville.- J. P. Clark. — Cynthiana. — My 
neighbors. 

Immediately following the Kanawha mission, I was 
called to the assistance of Brother John T. Johnson, in 
holding a series of protracted meetings. As might have 
been expected, I responded to this call with more than 
ordinary delight. We had been soldiers together in the 
war of 1812; had shared the same sufferings and perils, 
both in the march and on the battle-field, in the service 
of our country. Our experience had been the same in 
pursuing the pleasures of the world. We had tasted its 
joys but to know how fleeting and unsatisfying they were. 
After embracing the religion of our Saviour, we had 
wandered alike in the mazes of sectarianism and super- 
stition, and at times had been almost lost in the smoke 
of Babylon. By the same light we had been led out 
of our troubles and doubts, having exchanged visions, 
dreams and conjectures, for faith in God and trust in His 
precious promises. We, therefore, congratulated one 
another upon the privilege of fighting shoulder to shoul- 
der under the flag of the Prince of Peace, against the 
errors that had enthralled us, and the enemies that had 
so long held us in captivity. 

We held our first series of meetings together in the 
year 1846. I believe the first meeting was at Mill 
Creek, in Fleming county, with a young congregation 
which had been organized recently by AVilliam Brown, a 
man of wonderful power as a revivalist. At the time of 
our meeting, my son, John I. Rogers, was preaching for 
the congregation. The weather was intensely cold, but 
we continued until abundant success crowned our labors. 
Our next meeting was at Poplar Plains. This was com- 
paratively a new field for our people. Midway between 



200 Autobiography of 

Flemingsburg and Poplar Plains was an old Christian 
church called Brick Union, which had been established 
by Barton W. Stone at a very early day. The congre- 
gation was now dissolved, a part of its members going 
to Flemingsburg, and a part to Poplar Plains. The 
meeting which Johnson and I held at the Plains added 
much strength to the little congregation, putting our 
cause in that region upon a firm footing. After this 
we held a meeting at Lawrence Creek, some four miles 
below Maysville. This meeting resulted gloriously. At 
these several meetings one hundred souls were added to 
the church, many drooping souls revived, and several 
unhappy troubles cured. 

As an evangelist, I have thought John T. Johnson 
the best model I have ever known. Perhaps, I ought 
not to speak of him as a model at all, for no man could 
imitate him. His style beggars all attempts at descrip- 
tion. I have read descriptions of him as a preacher, 
from the pens of those w T ho are masters in the art of 
composition ; but the best of them were tame in com- 
parison with the real John T. Johnson as you saw and 
heard him for yourself. 

Though satisfied of the fact that what I may say of 
him will fall far short of portraying the man in his true 
character, yet I must be permitted to drop a few passing 
thoughts as an humble tribute to his memory. He stood 
like a lord before the people, and yet no one was awed 
in his presence, for his dignity was blended with the 
sweet simplicity of a child. He did not wear the dignity 
of the world, but it was that of conscious rectitude and 
goodness. In coming before his audience, he had the 
appearance of a bold, fearless and defiant champion, 
every nerve being fully strung and his dark eye flashing 
fire. A stranger, dropping into the audience in the 
midst of his discourse, would have been inclined to in- 
quire the cause of that strange determination expressed 
by the look and gesture, as well as by the words, of the 
speaker. A few moments in close attention, however, 
would have satisfied the most curious as to the cause. 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 201 

He would have learned that his Lord and Master had 
been rudely assailed ; that the glorious Gospel of God's 
Son had been perverted; and that, as a consequence, sin- 
ners were perishing for want of the bread of life. He 
was defending Jesus, his Saviour ; he was earnestly con- 
tending for the faith once delivered to the saints ; he was 
pleading for the salvation of souls. 

Johnson had practiced law during the earlier years of 
his life, during which time he had often been called 
upon to plead the cause of the falsely accused before the 
bar of human judgment ; which accounts for the fact 
that his style was that of the advocate, rather than that 
of the preacher. He was constantly pleading or prose- 
cuting causes. One very striking characteristic of his 
preaching was the faculty that he possessed of making 
everything that he talked about a present reality. In 
speaking of heaven, you would fancy that he saw every- 
thing there, and was lifting you up into regions from 
which you too might have visions of God. In speaking 
of hell, he seemed to be looking dow T n into the abyss 
of torment, beholding the miseries and ruin of lost 
souls, and to be listening to their fruitless cries. When 
dwelling upon the subject of the love of God, his own 
soul was melted with the celestial flame. If the Chris- 
tian hope was the theme, his whole being became ex-^ 
alted in the contemplation of the meeting of friends and 
kindred around the throne of God ; then, as if look- 
ing down from the celestial hights, he would exclaim, 
"Who would not endure a thousand times more than 
we are called upon to suffer for the joy of a meeting and 
a crown like these?" Then, turning to the sinner, he 
would ask, beseechingly: " O sinner, why will you perish 
in reach and in sight of such joys? Why not assert your 
manhood, and come this very hour to the Saviour, and 
live?" He was hopeful and buoyant under the most 
adverse circumstances. In all my intercourse with him, 
I do not remember to have heard him" utter a word of 
discouragement more than once. That was at the be- 
ginning of a meeting in Flat Rock, Bourbon county, 



202 Autobiography of 

where, upon our arrival, we found about a dozen per- 
sons in waiting, looking as cold and lifeless as the grave. 
As we left the house that day, Brother Johnson re- 
marked, that the beginning was not favorable for a good 
meeting. Notwithstanding the bad beginning, however, 
that meeting closed with about seventy-five additions. 

After the Flat Rock meeting, I was selected to hold a 
meeting at Somerset Church, Montgomery county, in 
conjunction with Brother John G. Tompkins, which be- 
gan with the most discouraging circumstances, and ended 
with the addition of scores to the church. Brother John 
G. Tompkins w^as a brother-in-law to Elder P. S. Fall, 
having married his sister, a lady of fine culture and ele- 
gant manners. His career was quite brief, and I may 
say as brilliant as it was brief. Being a finely educated 
Virginia gentleman, he was good material to form into a 
preacher. He w r as a polished speaker; was systematic 
almost to a fault; logical, persuasive, and, in the conclu- 
sion of his discourse, very pathetic. Had his physical 
constitution been equal to his mental capacity, I doubt 
not he would have stood to-day in the foremost ranks 
among the proclaimers of the Old Jerusalem Gospel. As 
it Avas, he accomplished very much good. 

About this time, I was induced to move to Owings- 
ville, the old home of Brother John Smith. At the 
beginning of my work the prospects of success w r ere 
bright and promising, but the coming among us of John 
P. Clark so completely blasted all our hopes for good 
that I returned to my old home again in Carlisle. 

Immediately upon my return to Carlisle, I had a call 
from the American Christian Missionary Board to evan- 
gelize in Hamilton county, Ohio, but, not being willing 
to leave Kentucky at this time, I accepted a call from 
the congregation at Cynthiana to preach for them once a 
month, and. to make my home in their midst. I believe 
it was in the year 1852 that I removed my family to 
Cynthiana, and have been perfectly contented with my 
situation ever since. I bought a little home of William 
Withers, who, for years afterwards, was my fast friend 



Elder Samuel Rogejrs. 203 

and faithful adviser, and whom, if yet living, I would 
as confidently approach for a favor as any man on earth. 
He gave me my own terms, and I may say my own time, 
in which to pay for my home. I found in and around 
Cynthiana the most liberal and generous people I have 
ever known. The aged, middle-aged and the young 
were alike kind and obliging : not for a few days, or 
months, or years, but during almost a quarter of a cen- 
tury their kindness and generosity have been unabated. I 
have often thanked God that it was my good fortune to 
fall in with such a people in the evening of life. Thus 
far it has been a blessed and peaceful evening, leaving 
out of view the late unholy conflict between the North 
and the South. And even in the midst of the troubles 
consequent upon that unnatural conflict, my friends did 
not forsake me, but were always ready to comfort and 
succor me in times of deepest distress. Happy is the 
man who is surrounded with such neighbors and breth- 
ren as I can boast. In the olden times I had known the 
fathers and mothers of many of these people, and in 
moving into their midst they recognized me as their 
father, and treated me accordingly. If I were not afraid 
of leaving out some of them, I should like to put them 
upon the Roll of Honor. I will make the attempt at 
any rate: the Witherses, Ashbrooks, Garnets, Smisers, 
Pattersons, Shawhans, Wards, Nicholses, Smiths, Millers, 
Williamses, Remingtons, Walls, Northcutts, Fraziers, 
W T ilsons, Talbotts, Vernons, Amermons, and others. 

I was employed to preach once in each month at In- 
dicotts, and, as I have stated, I preached once in each 
month at Cynthiana. For the balance of my time I was 
employed to preach under the direction of the State 
Board in the county of Owen. My chief points of ope- 
ration in the county were Owenton and Liberty, though 
I distributed my labors over the county generally. I had 
very marked success at Buck Creek, where I organized a 
large congregation, which I believe is still flourishing. I 
reported that year, as the result of my missionary work, 
about two hundred and fiftv additions. 



204 Autobiography of 

It is curious to observe how one, starting out from 
his native place in early manhood, drifts on and on 
through the shifting scenes of life, until, by some un- 
accountable turn of the tide, he finds himself in his de- 
clining age at the very place where he was born, and 
among the friends and in the midst of the scenes of his 
early youth. Such has been my fortune. I feel like 
one who, after long and tedious wanderings up and down 
the earth, has come home to die. And I thank God that 
He has cast my lot in such pleasant and familiar places 
in my declining age. A few hours' travel would carry 
me to the place where, more than three-quarters of a 
century ago, my father built his first cabin in the wild 
forests of Kentucky, while my mother and I were safely 
housed in Strode's Station. Much nearer is the sacred 
spot where my dear lamented wife spent her joyous 
childhood days. And still nearer stood the cabin where 
we were made husband and wife, and where I was also 
married to the Lord Jesus Christ. And yet a little 
nearer, even in the very neighborhood of my present 
home, I made my first efforts in preaching. 

For a number of years I preached once a month at 
Indian Creek, and once a month at Mount Carmel. A 
nobler people never lived than they. When too old to 
labor for them regularly, these churches adopted a reso- 
lution that, whenever it suited me to visit them, I should 
understand that I was invited; and I rejoice to testify 
that upon every such visit I was well rewarded for my 
labor. Grassy Spring, in Woodford county, and other 
churches w T ere alike kind to me in my old age. Among 
all these people I felt perfectly at home, and they all 
deported themselves towards me as dear and dutiful 
children. With such surroundings, it is not strange that 
I should be content to spend there my remaining days. 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 205 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

Last visit to Missouri. 

Being in my eighty-fourth year, I determined to revisit 
my friends in Missouri. Leaving Cynthiana the last 
Monday in April, I arrived in St. Joseph Thursday morn- 
ing, and experienced a joyful meeting with my son, W. 
C. Rogers, and his family. This was a long journey for 
one almost blind and deaf, but I have always found 
friends to help me along, even in the person of strangers. 
On the second day of May, I preached at Walnut Grove, 
five miles out, and had one addition. On Monday morn- 
ing I went out with my son, and spent the day fishing. 
On Thursday we went to Stewartsville, and spent two 
happy weeks with my son Samuel and his family. 

My next point was Cameron, where I spent a w r eek 
with my granddaughter, Mrs. Packard. On Lord's day 
I preached for the congregation there. The last Tuesday 
in May I returned to St. Joseph, and preached for the 
brethren the following Lord's day. Here I met Colonel 
Burton, who informed me that he had traveled forty 
miles to see me, for the purpose of inducing me to visit 
him in Effingham, a short distance from Atchison, Kan- 
sas. On the following Thursday I met my only living 
brother, General William Rogers, of Platte county. On 
Lord's day morning I met a large assembly, which had 
gathered there to hear the oldest pioneer preacher of the 
State. To speak for the last time to those with whom I 
had mingled for so many years, made it indeed a solemn 
occasion. Here I met my brother Acre, formerly of Bour- 
bon county, Kentucky. He is now quite an acceptable 
preacher. On the fourth Lord's day in June I preached 
two discourses at a basket-meeting at Second Creek. 
Thursday night I preached at Parkville, and on Friday 
returned to St. Joseph. On Saturday I went to Walnut 
Grc ve, and held a meeting for one week, sojourning with 



206 Autobiography of 

Herman Johnston, whom I had brought into the king- 
dom. On the first Lord's day in July I preached in St. 
Joseph, and the following week I preached in Atchison, 
where I enjoyed the company of many old friends. On 
Thursday I went to Colonel Burton's, and filled my en- 
gagement with him. Our meeting was a delightful one. 
Brother Pardee Butler met me here, and impressed me 
favorably. At one time I entertained prejudices against 
him, which I am satisfied were unfounded. He is cer- 
tainly a good and strong-minded man, and of unblem- 
ished reputation among his neighbors. Bad men may 
stand well abroad, but are rarely of good repute at home. 
On Thursday night I preached at Effingham, and took 
the confession of a promising young man. On Friday 
I returned to Atchison, and on Lord's day preached two 
discourses. My son, W. C. Rogers, organized this con- 
gregation some time ago on the old Jerusalem platform. 

On Tuesday I took the cars for Leavenworth City, 
where I met many old Kentucky friends. The following 
evening I started for Columbia, but was detained by ac- 
cident twenty-four hours in Kansas City, where I met 
the beloved Mountjoy, who had been baptized when a 
small boy in Lawrenceburg, Ky., by my son John I. He 
is now one of Missouri's best preachers. Here I ad- 
dressed the brethren at their prayer-meeting, and in the 
morning hurried on to Centralia, and thence to Colum- 
bia. Here I was met by my dearly beloved Brother 
Wilkes. In Lexington, Ky., his house had been my 
home by a standing invitation. Brother and Sister 
AVilkes used to conduct me to my room, and, after seat- 
ing me in the big chair, they would say, " Now, Uncle 
Sam, this is your room, and you must do as you please." 
So you may imagine that I felt at home again when 
seated in the midst of this family. 

On Lord's day, after preaching, I dined at Christian 
College, which for many years had been presided over 
with marked ability by the beloved J. K. Rogers, who 
has become famous as an educator. Here I saw a life- 
size portrait of Elder Thomas M. Allen, one of Missouri's 



Elder Samuel Rogers. 207 

best pioneer preachers. It was not the likeness before 
me that crushed my heart as I stood gazing thereon, but 
it was the recollection of my dear lost boy who, years 
before, had painted this likeness. I thought of the fatal 
charge at Augusta, and the mangled corpse of my dear 
child, the youngest born among my sons. Here let the 
curtain fall and hide from view forever all but the fact 
that a nobler, truer heart was never pierced by the ball 
of an adversary than that which beat in the breast of 
W. S. Rogers. 

On Sunday night I delivered an historical discourse, 
having been requested to give a brief sketch of my life 
and labors. My motto was II. Tim. iv. 7 : " I have 
fought a good fight," etc. At the close one confessed 
faith in Christ, and two united with the church. By 
special invitation, I visited Missouri University, where I 
was brought face to face with the likenesses of the former 
Presidents of the institution, painted by my son, W. S. 
R. Among them I recognized the beloved Shannon, a 
great and true Reformer. In his early ministry he was a 
Presbyterian preacher; but, having been appointed by 
the Synod of Georgia to deliver a discourse upon the 
subject of infant sprinkling, after searching his Bible 
through for proof-texts, and, to his surprise, finding 
none, he at once laid down his commission at the feet of 
his brethren, and attached himself to the Baptist church. 
Subsequently he became acquainted with the views of 
our people, and advocated with great zeal, until the day 
of his death, the doctrine of the Bible. From Columbia I 
went to Miller's Landing, where I preached more than 
two weeks, on the ground where, in years past, I had 
achieved for my Master many grand victories. To me 
this was sacred ground. It was in sight of the graves 
of my mother, two sisters, and many friends of my 
youth. Though in my eighty-fourth year, yet, as I stood 
upon the old battle-ground, I became in feeling young 
again, and spoke with the strength of my early man- 
hood. On Tuesday after the third Lord's day in August, 
the evening of my departure, I addressed my brethren 



208 Autobiography. 

and old friends from Acts xx., a part of Paul's charge to 
the elders at Ephesus. Having commended them to 
God, and to the Word of His grace, we all kneeled down 
and prayed together. Then the farewells were spoken, 
and we parted with weeping eyes, but not as those who 
have no hope. 

From Miller's Landing I went to Grey's Summit, 
where my nephew, J. J. Woods, was in waiting to con- 
vey me to his home. On the following day I began 
a meeting at Pleasant Hill, which was continued for 
several weeks. On the fourth Lord's day in August I 
preached in the morning and at night, and witnessed 
quite a number of confessions. The brethren prevailed 
on me to remain for a time. We had a happy meeting, 
and several persons were added to the church. On 
Monday I started for Kentucky, and, after a brief rest 
with friends in St. Louis, I arrived in safety at home, 
having been out three months. This I intended for my 
last long journey, and certainly it has been the happiest 
journey of all. 

I have now well nigh spoken all my farewells on 
earth, and shall soon begin shaking hands with the loved 
ones gone before. And, though I know not where those 
greetings shall end, yet I do know where they will be- 
gin. I shall greet, first of all, my Father, whose hand 
has led me all the journey through, and my Saviour, 
whose grace has been sufficient for me in every day of 
trial and suffering here. And next, I shall look around 
for her whose love and goodness have imposed on me a 
debt of gratitude to God I can never repay. When we 
meet, shall we not gather up the children and grand- 
children, and sit down under the shadow of the throne 
and rest? 



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